What do you do with the anger, grudges, and quiet desire to “make people pay” when they hurt you—and is it even possible to truly love people who wrong you?

This message walks through 1 Corinthians 13 to uncover what real, non–self-seeking love looks like in the face of everyday offenses, and how God’s love revealed in Jesus by the Spirit can actually free us from bitterness, revenge, and keeping score. Listen in to discover how love that “keeps no record of wrongs” might become real in your own life.

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Pray through a 5-day devotional based on this message: https://redwoodpark.ca/blog/2026/06/28/love-is-not-part-2-a-devotional

Learn more about our church: https://redwoodpark.ca/

What if the main problem in your life isn’t your circumstances, but your diagnosis? 1 Corinthians 13 uncovers the real heart issue beneath gossip, division, comparison, and conflict: self-seeking love. The good news is that the cure exists: experiencing Jesus' perfect, sacrificial love for us, which then empowers us to love others authentically. When we stop making life all about ourselves and instead root our identity in Christ's love, we find the contentment, purpose, and community we've been seeking all along.

We live in a world designed for instant gratification and surface-level niceness rather than true patience and deep kindness. Yet the ultimate answer to our struggle isn't found in trying harder, but in looking to Jesus—the embodiment of patience and kindness, wondrously displayed on the cross. His endurance and selfless love become both our model and our empowerment through the Holy Spirit.

As a church, we've seen some remarkable statistics this past year—but God's measure of our success isn't found in numbers. It's found in love. Paul challenges us to examine whether our spiritual gifts, our service, and our daily lives are truly marked by love that submits to Christ's lordship and seeks the good of others. Without love, even our most impressive spiritual accomplishments are nothing more than "a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal."

As followers of Jesus, we live in the "already but not yet"—Christ has already come, defeated sin and death, and given us His Spirit, but He has not yet returned to complete His work. The final chapters of Revelation give us a breathtaking picture of what's coming: a restored creation where heaven and earth fully overlap, where there is no more death, mourning, crying, or pain. This vision doesn't just give us hope for the future; it shapes how we live today as Spirit-filled people bringing pockets of heaven to earth.

We journey from the first Pentecost in Exodus to the second Pentecost in Acts 2. Just as God gave His people instructions, His presence, and a way to remain in relationship with Him at that first Pentecost, He now gives us the Holy Spirit who transforms us from the inside out, empowers us for mission, and makes us living tabernacles of His presence. This isn't just ancient history—it's our reality today.

In Luke 24 and Acts, we encounter the disciples after Jesus' resurrection and ascension—a moment when they could have been paralyzed by fear or confusion. Instead, they waited with worship, praise, and joy. What made the difference? Jesus breathed the Holy Spirit upon them. When we invite the Spirit into our waiting periods and actively engage with Scripture, our impatience transforms into anticipation.

One of the most profound mysteries of our faith: God stepping out of heaven and into our world as a human being. "In the beginning was the Word..." who existed before creation and through whom all things were made. The Word became flesh and moved into our neighborhood. This isn't just theological language; it's the stunning reality that God loved us so much He was willing to experience everything we experience.

From the Garden of Eden where God walked in the cool of the day with Adam and Eve, through the intricate tabernacle in the wilderness, to Solomon's magnificent temple, we see a consistent thread: God has always longed to be in fellowship with His people.

We are made to dwell in God’s presence where we find our identity and our purpose in life.