Hopeful

All week, we have been working on memorizing Paul’s description of love.


1 Corinthians 13:4-7
Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.


Hopeful. How did this exercise in memorization go? I pray it was helpful and I hope you enjoyed it ... because we are going to do it again. The thing I love most about this passage is that it provides a quick evaluation of our journey as Jesus followers ... a pretty important evaluation considering the night Jesus was betrayed and arrested He set love as the barometer of our journey (check out John 13:34-35). Here is my final challenge from the Extraordinary experience ... once a week, practice reciting this passage so that all of your hard work from this week doesn’t slip away; and then, say a simple prayer, “God, teach me how to love like this.” I am hopeful that God can help us leave an Extraordinary legacy!

1 Corinthians 13:7

This week, we are using the spiritual discipline of memorization to help us become intimately familiar with love ... something “legacy worthy”. Check out Monday’s entry (1 Corinthians 13:4) for more information. Today, we add the final verse to Paul’s description. I know the challenge increases with each new verse; but I believe in you!


1 Corinthians 13:7
Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

1 Corinthians 13:6

This week, we are using the spiritual discipline of memorization to help us become intimately familiar with love ... something “legacy worthy”. Check out Monday’s entry (1 Corinthians 13:4) for more information. The goal is to memorize the entire description so don’t forget to review verses four and five before moving on to verse six...


1 Corinthians 13:6
(Love) does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out.

1 Corinthians 13:5

This week, we are using the spiritual discipline of memorization to help us become intimately familiar with love ... something “legacy worthy”. Check out Monday’s entry (1 Corinthians 13:4) for more information. In the meantime, work on memorizing verse five...


1 Corinthians 13:5
(Love) does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged.

1 Corinthians 13:4

This past weekend, Jonathan talked about our legacy. He reminded us about the brevity of life (James 4:14) and the reality that everyone is known for something. What will we be known for? What is “legacy worthy”? He offered a suggestion from 1 Corinthians 13:13 ... “Three things will last forever - faith, hope, and love - and the greatest of these is love.” If we want to leave a legacy of love, we need to be intimately familiar it. Earlier in that same chapter, the author (Paul, a leader in the early part of this Jesus revolution) provides a great description of love. It is used during wedding ceremonies; but it was written to a group of Jesus followers and intended to remind them how they should treat one another. Eastside Journey was designed to be a tool that helps you on your spiritual journey and part of that assistance is revealing/reminding you of some of the great spiritual disciplines that have helped other Jesus followers on their journey. This week, we are going to practice the spiritual discipline of memorization. Everyday, we will read and reread and work on memorizing one sentence from that description. Disciplines are never easy; but they are always beneficial. I pray you will join me in becoming intimately familiar with something “legacy worthy”.


I will reserve any personal comments until the end of the week so that you can concentrate on the words God inspired Paul to write. A helpful hint ... write the verse down on a note care or post-it note so you can reread it throughout the day.


1 Corinthians 13:4
Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude.