Good morning. It’s Sunday, January 19th aka Martin Luther King Day.

🥳 Congratulations on starting today with God, and thank you for letting us be a part of it.

Jesus chose His words carefully.

He did not say tolerate your neighbor.

He did not say put up with your neighbor.

He said love your neighbor, and He measured that love by something very personal.

“As yourself.”

Before He says it, Jesus grounds everything in love for God.

Mark 12:30 (NIV) says,

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.”

That is full devotion. Not partial. Not selective. Jesus is saying that love for God is meant to shape every part of who you are, not just your beliefs, but your actions.

Then He continues

Mark 12:31 (NIV) says,

“Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.”

Jesus assumes something about human nature. We already know how to love ourselves. We feed ourselves when we are hungry. We rest when we are tired. We defend ourselves when we feel threatened. We give ourselves grace when we fall short.

Jesus says to take that same instinct and turn it outward.

Loving your neighbor as yourself means caring about their needs the way you care about your own. It means pausing before speaking harshly, because you know how words linger when they are spoken to you. It means choosing patience, because you hope others will be patient with you. It means offering forgiveness, because you live on the receiving end of it.

The verses after show how serious Jesus is.

In Mark 12:32–33 (NIV), the teacher of the law agrees and says loving God and loving others matters more than sacrifices. More than rituals. More than outward displays of religion.

Jesus responds in Mark 12:34 (NIV),

“You are not far from the kingdom of God.”

That response matters. Understanding this command brings someone close to God’s heart. Not rule keeping. Not performance. Love.

Jesus is not asking for grand gestures. He is talking about everyday life. How you treat the person who annoys you. How you respond when someone inconveniences you. How you act toward people who can do nothing for you in return.

Loving your neighbor as yourself is not about warm feelings. It is about choice. It is about seeing people the way God sees you. With patience. With compassion. With room to grow.

Jesus ties love for God and love for people together because they were never meant to be separated. If love for God is real, it will show up in how you treat others.

Because love is not just the message.

When you’re not sure how to pray, A.C.T.S. gives you a simple path to follow: Adore, Confess, Thank, and Ask.

Adoration: Jesus, loving Lord, patient teacher, perfect example of selfless love.

Confession: Forgive me for choosing comfort over loving others like myself.

Thanksgiving: Thank You for loving me first and showing what true love is.

Supplication: Help me love my neighbor daily with grace, humility, and action.

In Jesus name, Amen

“Power” by Chris Tomlin ft. Bear Rinehart

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Thanks for letting us be part of how you start your day with God.

See you tomorrow,

Zach | Start With God