Love Gives | Pastor Mike Wilson

Every love story eventually asks one question: are you willing to give, or do you only want to take? In 1 John 3:11-18, the apostle John sets two men side by side — Cain, who let jealousy turn into murder, and Jesus, who laid down His life out of love. One takes. One gives. And John says that contrast defines what real love actually looks like.

In this message, we unpack why sin is fundamentally selfish while love is fundamentally selfless, why generosity (especially with money) is the truest test of how mature our love really is, and how God's math works differently than the world's — He doesn't ask us to be the source of love, just to stay connected to it so we can overflow onto others. We also talk practically about what it looks like to bring your best energy home to your family, and what it looks like to move from being served by the church to serving it.

If you've ever wondered whether your faith is more about what you avoid or what you actually produce, this message is for you. Because biblical holiness isn't just staying out of trouble — it's bearing fruit. A tree isn't fruitful because it avoided poison; it's fruitful because it produced something good.

Key Scriptures: 1 John 3:11-19, Isaiah 40:31