Sunday Sermon: The Most Important Commandment of All

Today our pastor concluded with the sermon series of "Finding Joy in Real Life - 5 Habits for Living Well" with "The Most Important Commandment of All."  

Scripture:

• Hear, O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord alone.  You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might.  ~Deuteronomy 6:4-5 
• A lawyer asked [Jesus] a question to test him.  "Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?"  He said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.  This is the greatest and first commandment."  ~Matthew 22:35-38 

Notes and Reflections:

• Every decision you make and every action you take is a reflection of your love of God!  
• Shema Israel - Yahweh is the source of all life and everything
• The Lord is my God, and I am meant to love Him with all of my heart, my soul, my mind, and my strength 
• Some reasons why I believe in God:
• The beauty and order of the universe, and the laws that govern it.  i.e. Alphabet soup does not get poured out in alphabetical order, no matter how many times you pour it out!  The creator of the big band theory was a Catholic priest   In the universe we see God who's pattern shaped it, and we see His glory in it!  
• The witness of other people - people I know and meet, and Biblical authors and characters, and modern-day people such as Mother Theresa 
• Jesus Himself - was buried and rose from the dead
• The impact of faith in the lives of others 
• My personal experiences with God and my faith - my own life is radically different, and I feel most fully alive when I have been praying, reading the Bible, etc.  I have also become more loving, forgiving, etc.  
• God shapes how I respond to circumstances in my life 
• When I die, I think I will like having lived my life better believing in God than if I didn't! 
• He is where I find hope in the face of death
• Just like any relationship, we must spend time talking, listening, and nurturing the relationship with the other person - we must nurture our relationship with God!  
• When you love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, you find joy and meaning in life!