This past Sunday, we began our Lenten sermon series, “Questions to God,” by wrestling with one of the biggest and most fundamental questions of faith: Who is God? And does God even exist?
For centuries, people have sought proof of God’s presence. We long for certainty, something tangible we can see, hear, or touch. But faith doesn’t always work that way. Instead of giving us definitive answers, God gives us an invitation—an invitation to love.
Seeking God in Love
Psalm 103 speaks of a God who is compassionate, slow to anger, and overflowing with steadfast love. But how do we really know this is true? If we can’t physically see God, how can we be sure God is real?
1 John 4 offers a bold response: “God is love.”
This means that whenever we experience true, selfless love, we are catching a glimpse of God. We see God in the embrace of a friend who comforts us in sorrow, in the patience of a parent teaching a child, in the kindness of a stranger who extends help without expectation.
This idea is echoed in the words of Mother Teresa when a journalist once asked her, “Where is God?”
She replied:
“God is in the smile you give a child. God is in the hand you hold of someone who is suffering. God is in the small acts of love that go unnoticed but make all the difference in the world.”
Her response is simple, yet profound: if you want to see God, look for love.
Is Love Really Enough?
But that raises a difficult question: Is love really enough?
If we’re honest, sometimes we want more than just an idea. We want certainty. We want proof. And we are not alone in this struggle—the Bible is full of people who asked for the same thing.
- Moses asked to see God’s glory.
- The disciples wanted Jesus to show them the Father.
- Thomas refused to believe in the resurrection until he could touch Jesus’ scars.
Yet, in all these cases, God’s response was not always physical proof but relationship, presence, and love.
1 John 4:12 reminds us: “No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God remains in us and God’s love is made complete in us.”
To know love is to know God.
Jesus: The Ultimate Revelation of God’s Love
But how do we know that love comes from God? Couldn’t love just be a human instinct, a biological reaction, or a cultural value we’ve learned?
This is where Jesus changes everything.
1 John 4:9-10 tells us that God’s love was made known through Jesus.
Yes, people can experience love apart from faith, but in Jesus, something radical and new happened. His love went beyond emotion, beyond instinct, beyond even survival.
His love was:
- Sacrificial – Giving up his own comfort and safety for the sake of others.
- Self-giving – Holding nothing back, even his own life.
- Countercultural – Welcoming outsiders, forgiving enemies, and loving without condition.
Jesus showed a love that:
- Forgave even those who crucified him.
- Healed the broken.
- Welcomed those the world had rejected.
- Gave everything—even his own life—for the sake of others.
And after his death, something remarkable happened.
A New Kind of Community
A new community emerged—a group of people who had once been afraid but were now radically loving, deeply unified, and completely transformed.
In Acts 4:32-36, we see what this community looked like:
- They shared everything.
- They cared for the poor.
- They lived without fear.
- They were freed from oppressive systems.
This was not just a social movement—it was the love of God at work.
And that same love is still at work today.
Where Have You Seen God’s Love?
Love is not just an abstract concept—it’s something deeply personal.
For me, one of the greatest examples of love in my life was my grandmother. I met her for the first time when I was three years old, and I will never forget that moment. As soon as she saw me and my mother, she wrapped us both in her arms, as if we had always belonged to her.
Never once did she make me feel like an outsider. She loved me as if I was her own. It was as if, before that moment, I had been lost—but in her embrace, I had finally found home.
That kind of love tells you that you belong, that you are wanted, that you are cherished.
And when I look back, I realize—that kind of love wasn’t just human love. That was divine.
A Call to Live Differently
1 John 4:18 says, “There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear.”
We live in a world that is often driven by fear—fear of failure, fear of rejection, fear of those who are different from us, fear of not having enough.
But what if we, as a church, chose to abide in love instead?
What if we didn’t let fear have the final word?
What if, instead of trying to prove ourselves, defend ourselves, or protect ourselves, we simply loved?
Imagine What Could Happen…
- Instead of judging, we showed grace.
- Instead of reacting in anger, we responded with patience.
- Instead of assuming the worst, we gave the benefit of the doubt.
- Instead of withholding forgiveness, we extended it freely.
What would our families look like if we chose love over fear?
What would our workplaces feel like if we lived as people of grace?
What would our neighborhoods, schools, and communities become if we truly believed that love—not power, not control, not fear—is the greatest evidence of God?
The Challenge for This Week
So, here is the challenge:
- Where have you seen love at work this week?
- Where is God calling you to be a reflection of that love?
- What fear, bitterness, or hesitation do you need to let go of so you can love more freely?
Because the world doesn’t just need to hear about love.
The world needs to see it.
The world needs to experience it.
The world needs to find home in it.
And that starts with us.
Let’s be a church where love is so bold, so undeniable, that when people look at us, they don’t just see us—they see God.
Closing Prayer
Loving God,
We may not see you with our eyes, but we see you in the love that surrounds us.
Help us to trust that love is not just an emotion but a reflection of your presence.
Make us people who love boldly, without fear, without hesitation.
Let our lives be a witness to your goodness, your mercy, and your grace.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Want to Dive Deeper?
- Reflect: Write down one way you have seen love in action today.
- Act: Who in your life needs to experience God’s love through you? Take one intentional step to show them grace, kindness, or compassion this week.
***
Pieces of the Puzzle 