Love Conquers All

N.T.#767 "Love Conquers All"

April 2, 2026 

John 13-Part 9 

By this shall all men know that ye are My disciples, if ye have love one to another. (verse 35)

LET IT GLOW 

What sets us believers in Jesus apart from unbelievers? How does the world see Christ in His followers? 

When we love one another, other believers, as Jesus loves us:

• then our preeminent mark is that we are disciples of Jesus. 
• Love is how the world notices we are different. 
• It is not an option. 
• It is revolutionary when we love others as much as Christ loved others.
• Such love brings unbelievers to Jesus Christ.
• It keeps believers strong and united in a hostile world.
• Jesus was a living example of love. He loved those rejected by the world. So ought we love others.
• It is a sacrificial love. 

Folks, love is what makes us different. We read about it in 1 Corinthians 13. Are we loving others as Christ loves us? I know, some people need an extra dose of love from us. 

LET IT GROW 

Love is an attitude that reveals itself in action. How can we love others as Jesus loves us?

• Helping when it's not convenient.
• Giving when it hurts.
• Devoting energy to others' welfare rather than our own.
• Absorbing hurts from others without complaining or fighting back.

This kind of love is hard to do. That is why people notice when we do it. They see we are empowered by a supernatural source-God.

LET IT GO 

Help me love those who have hurt me and those who don't deserve my love.

Help me forgive them.

Change my heart so You can love them through me.

Don't give up on those you love, dear one. God can change hearts.

Love

N.T.#766 "Love"

April 1, 2026 

John 13-Part 8 

LET IT GLOW 

Here in the last 5 chapters, we see Jesus giving His farewell discourse. Now we are entering Jesus' final teachings to His disciples. Now with the betrayal set in motion, the events leading up to the crucifixion had begun. 

What was Jesus telling His following group about His future?

• The Son of Man is glorified. (verse 31) 
• God is glorified in Him. 
• Jesus would soon be gone and ascend to God the Father. (verse 33)

Jesus came into the world to offer Himself as a substitutionary atonement and then be raised from the dead. As Jesus glorified God, so we Christians called to do the same. Everything we do-in thought, word, and deed-is to be done for the glory of God. (1 Cor. 10:31)

[Resource: The Tony Evans Bible Commentary]

LET IT GROW 

What was the new commandment which Jesus gave His men and us?

I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. 

Guys, love each other because the Jews were about to kill your leader., Me.  Love one another because I will be gone and you will need each other. Support and encourage each other, boys. 

Biblical love is the decision to compassionately, responsibly, and righteously pursue the well-being of another person. Loving someone may or may not have feelings connected to it. Love is a decision to seek another's best, regardless of your feelings.

LET IT GO

Help us love others as You love us, Jesus.

Remind us throughout today.

Betrayal

 N.T.#765 "Betrayal"

 April 1, 2026 

John 13-Part 7 

LET IT GLOW 

Friend, have you been betrayed by a loved one or friend? It hurts like your heart has been cut out and sliced into pieces. Jesus experienced betrayal. Read on.

 Who is it? One in the group who would eat with Christ would betray Him.-Judas. All along Jesus knew who His betrayer was, but the disciples did not.

He quotes Psalm 41:9:

Even my close friend, in whom I trusted,

Who ate my bread,

Has lifted up his heel against Me. 

In the ancient world, to dine with someone was an intimate activity that affirmed mutual trust. It would have been inconceivable to eat with one's enemy. This is what made Judas' actions all more reprehensive. (David Jeremiah)

Which guy in the group was a betrayer? Peter wanted to know if it was him. Not this time, Peter.

It is he to whom I shall give a piece of bread when I have dipped it. (verse 26)

Then Jesus dipped the bread (probably in oil) and gave it to Judas Iscariot. Satan entered Judas. Jesus told Judas what he was to do, do it quickly. Judas left, went to the religious leaders, bargained the location of Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. 

Judas had been in charge of the money bag for the disciples. They used the money to give funds to the needy and to buy food for the group. 

Whatever Judas was thinking, Satan assumed that Jesus' death would end His mission and thwart God's plan. Jesus' death was the most important part of God's plan all along. 

Will we remain faithful to Jesus forever? Or only when it is convenient to be a follower of Jesus?

LET IT GROW 

Keep in mind that Jesus hand-picked His disciples. 

Although Judas would be turning Jesus over to the authorities, the Son of Man would be glorified because everything remained under the foreknowledge, control, and redemption of a sovereign God. Even the greatest of injustices against God's own cannot prevent His goodness from prevailing. (Romans 8:28)

Jesus found it in His heart to forgive His accusers, those who beat Him, those who drove the nails in His hands and feet. Our sins put Jesus on the cross. Have you asked Him to forgive your sins and be your Savior? His loving, nail-scarred hand is stretched out to you today.

LET IT GO

Forgive our betrayal, Jesus,.

Help us forgive those who betray us.

Heal our hurting hearts and fill us with Your love.

Glory and praise to Jesus. You are our hope, joy, peace, love.

Who Are You Serving?

N.T. #764  "Who Are You Serving?"

March 30, 2026 

John 13-Part 6

LET IT GLOW 

Washing dirty dishes, clothes, mopping floors, are chores we do for our family because we love them and want to take care of their needs. Jesus showed us more.

In verse 15, we read of Jesus telling His disciples that He had done the foot washing for an example of humility. Then He said they should do as He has done.

What is God asking us to do, go the second mile with Him? 

The things that Jesus did were of the most menial and commonplace order, and this is an indication that it takes all God's power in me to do the most commonplace things in His way? (Oswald Chambers)

LET IT GROW 

Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him. If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them. (verses 16-17)

When we practice a life of humility and service, then we will be happy/blessed.

Are we helping those in the family of God when things get dirty? 

Our service is needed most when people's lives are messiest and hurting and suffering. don't pick and choose who you will serve, but ask Jesus who He wants to minister to today.

Keep the faith, friends.

LET IT GO 

Open our eyes to see the needs of others.

We serve You, Lord Jesus, for Your glory.

Serving With Love

N.T.#763 "Serving With Love"

March 27, 2026 

John 13-Part 5 

LET IT GLOW

Washing dishes, washing dirty clothes, and washing smelly feet, wipe up vomit off the floor-that takes love to do those remedial jobs. The One who created everything humbled Himself to show His disciples and us how to express love.

It was a humbling thing for one to wash another's feet. You bow before them, lower than they are sitting. Washing stinky, sweaty feet is not pleasant, either. Peter didn't want Jesus doing that to Him. After all, Peter had proclaimed earlier that Jesus is The Christ, the Son of the Living God. 

Then Peter, not understanding what Jesus was demonstrating, told Jesus to give him a bath. Jesus set Peter straight-one who had taken a bath only needs their feet washed. Dirt with sweat, walking in sandals, could have made quite messy feet during that time. Jesus recognized that all were clean, except one of the disciples. (Jesus knew it was Judas who would betray Him for money.)

LET IT GROW 

The disciples rightly called Jesus their Teacher/Master and Lord. Yet He had rinsed their feet like a servant. If He would do this for them, they should do this for one another. Jesus did not give them a third ordinance, but an example to follow. It was a lesson on humility. 

All Christians need a lesson on humility every now and then, right? Instead of climbing the ladder of success, we ought to be content to perform the lowest service to the glory of God. 

[Resource: The Gospel of John: Invitation to Life by Herschel H. Hobbs]

Oswald Chambers had this to say in his devotional, My Utmost for His Highest:

To have a master means that there is one who knows me better than I know myself, one who is closer than a friend, one who fathoms the remotest abyss of my heart and satisfies it, one who had brought me into secure sense that he has met and solved every perplexity and problem of my mind. To have a master in this and nothing less-One is your Master, even Christ. The only word to describe mastership in experience is love. (my italics)

We show that we love God and Jesus when we obey them. Actions speak louder than words.

The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love. (Swindoll) (Galatians 5:6)

James 2 tells us faith without works is dead, useless. 

I Corinthians 13 tells us if we don't have love, then our words are as noisy cymbals; If we have faith to move mountains without love, then it is nothing; If we give our body to be burned or possessions to the poor, yet without love, then it is for nothing. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.

I have some things to work on, friend. How about you? 

LET IT GO 

We let go of everything, Jesus and lay it at Your feet.

Let us be Your servant today.

May all we do be done for Your glory, Father God.

Nothing Takes Jesus by Surprise

N.T.#762 "Nothing Takes Jesus by Surprise"

 March 25, 2026 

John 13-Part 4 

LET IT GLOW

How did Peter respond when it was his turn for Jesus to wash his feet? 

• You will never wash my feet.  
• Unless Jesus washed Peter's feet, he could have no fellowship with Jesus (verse 8) 
• Essentially, Peter told the Lord to forget his feet, give him a shower. (verse 9) Sounds like Peter. He jumped to the other extreme. 
• In Peter's heart, he was willing to do anything to show Jesus that he didn't want to be disconnected from Him. (Peter was one of the 3 closest disciple of Jesus'.)
• Peter needed to submit to the Lord and obey Him. 
• Jesus assured Peter that if one had bathed, he only needed to wash his feet. (verse 10)
• When we are saved, we need only to confess our sins and ask Jesus' forgiveness. We don't need to be saved over and over again. Jesus died only once in our place for our sin-punishment. 

Are we submitting to the Lord Jesus and obeying Him in our life?

We only need to address the dirty areas of our life (sins) so we can stay clean spiritually. Daily we should be confessing our sins to the Savior. If you have never asked Jesus to forgive you of your sins, friend, do it now. 

LET IT GROW 

Jesus told His disciples that not all of them were clean. (verse 10) Jesus knew who was about to betray Him-Judas.. Nothing takes Jesus by surprise.

So, Jesus knows what battle we are in right now. The devil may have a strong hold on someone in our life, but Jesus can deliver them. Pray without ceasing, dear one. Wait patiently for those chains of sin, addiction, lust, to be broken. Hold on tight to Jesus. Let your faith grow stronger while you wait for His deliverance.

LET IT GO 

Help us remain strong as we trust You, King Jesus.

Father, do whatever it takes for our loved one to be broken free.

Let Jesus Wash You

 N.T.#761 "Let Jesus Wash Your Soul"

March 24, 2026

John 13-Part 3 

LET IT GLOW

We left Jesus on His knees washing the feet of the disciples. When it was Peter's turn for Jesus to wash his feet, Peter asked Jesus, "Lord, do You wash my feet?" 

In other words, Peter told Jesus "You will never wash my feet." But unless Jesus washed Peter's feet, he could have no fellowship with Him. (verse 8) 

"Forget the feet, give me a shower!" that was in essence how Peter replied. Peter was willing to do anything to show he didn't want to be disconnected from Jesus. (Tony Evans)

Really, Peter?

LET IT GROW 

If one has bathed already, then they only needed to wash their feet. Our feet get dirty from walking in the world, and so does our mind and soul. If we are already saved, then we don't need to get saved again. We need to address the dirty areas (sins) in our life so we can stay clean before the Lord. To maintain fellowship with the Lord, we must regularly come to Jesus in confession and repentance. (Tony Evans)

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1John 1:9)

Has our pride and ego died yet? 

Do we confess our sins daily to Jesus?

LET IT GO

Are there any sins we need to repent of and turn from them, and turn to Jesus?

Grace and mercy and love and peace await for us.