Putting Love on Top

As we closed out the final Sunday of 2025, Pastor Josh delivered a powerful and timely message titled "Putting Love on Top.". Reframing the familiar words of 1 Corinthians 13 and the Greatest Commandment, he challenged us to stop settling for a "mediocre" spiritual existence and instead pursue the "full life" that Jesus promised.

Here is a breakdown of the sermon's core insights, the raw examples shared, and the practical challenges for the year ahead.

The Goal: A Life Not Wasted

Pastor Josh began with a sobering reminder: the success of a church means nothing if the individuals within it are suffering. He emphasised that God’s primary desire for us isn't a successful career or a massive church, but a life defined by two things: loving God with all our heart and loving our neighbors as ourselves.

The speaker noted that the entire history of God’s activity—from the parting of the Red Sea to the sacrifice of Jesus—was orchestrated so that we could understand and live out these two commandments.

The Challenge: Love is Not Natural

Perhaps the most striking part of the sermon was the honest admission that love is not our natural instinct.. Pastor Josh used several "real-world" examples to show how easily our sinful nature overrides our spiritual intentions:

• The Squeezed Pastor: Pastor Josh confessed that he viewed himself as a "renowned loving pastor" until the realities of marriage and parenting "squeezed" him. He realized that while he was good at being nice to strangers, he could be sharp or "rude" to his own wife and children when his comfort was challenged.
• The "Rude" Deacon: He shared a story about a deacon who spent three hours in early morning prayer, feeling filled with the Spirit. However, minutes later, when a car cut him off and shouted a racial comment, the deacon immediately "gave him the finger". This example highlights how a "spiritual feeling" can evaporate the moment we are inconvenienced.
• The Trap of Approval: The speaker challenged the idea that love is always "soft" or "nice." He argued that many people are only "nice" because they crave the approval of man. He noted that parents who give their children too much money, time, or approval without discipline are actually failing to love them, as they are avoiding the "harsh words" that are sometimes the most loving thing a person can provide.

"Sinners meeting sinners every Sunday, trying to build the community of love—it’s impossible [without Christ]."

The Definition: Love as a Gift, Not a Burden

To shift our perspective, the speaker redefined love as a gift from God rather than a legalistic rulebook.

The Golf Ball Marker Example: Pastor Josh recalled receiving a golf ball marker with his initials as a gift from his children. He noted that the worst thing he could do is leave it beautifully wrapped on a shelf to admire it. A gift only fulfills its purpose when it is unwrapped and used. Similarly, we must "use" the gift of love repeatedly, even when we feel guilty, shameful, or have been backstabbed in the past.

Love is an Act of Will, Not a Feeling: Pastor Josh was candid about his own marriage, stating that if love were based purely on feelings, he would have "divorced a long time ago". Instead, biblical love is a commitment to the truth and a willingness to stay in the "water" and learn to love even when it is uncomfortable.

The Strategy: Rewiring the Spiritual Brain

Because our brains are "wired" for comfort and treat discipline as a "threat," we cannot simply wait to "feel" like being loving.

The 5-Second Rule and Cleaning Your Room: Using a metaphor from neuro-psychology, the speaker explained that if you wait until you "feel" like cleaning your room, it will never happen. However, if you use your willpower for just the first five seconds to start the task, your brain begins to rewire. Once you start, you eventually find joy in the success of the discipline.

The 21-Day EMP Challenge

To help us rewire for 2026, the church is launching a 21-Day Early Morning Prayer (EMP) challenge starting January 1st.

• The Task: Read through the Book of John together.
• The Goal: Not to follow another "rule," but to be present in the presence of God and let the Holy Spirit transform our hearts from the inside out.
• The Accountability: Shepherds are encouraged to keep their members accountable to ensure we are "stronger together".

Final Thoughts

Putting love on top is the pathway to a "full life"—a life characterized by satisfaction, security, and joy. Pastor Josh concluded by urging us not to let the next year be another "mediocre" one, but to use the first five seconds of 2026 to commit to the discipline of love.