Courageous Conversations: Love Comes First

"The title for this message in the Courageous Conversations Sermon Series is, “Love Comes First.” The Courageous Conversations Sermon Series will continue over the next year. God calls us to love people, including LGBTQ+; love does not mean agreement, but it does mean acceptance. God wants us to feel empathy, compassion, grace, and mercy.  God directs us to open our hearts to love with abandon like Jesus. We may not agree with one’s choices before God, but God’s grace applies to us all. Broken relationships cause hurt and withdrawal from the people of God where there should be acceptance, belonging, and community; this often leads to a turning away from the faith.  The Big C Church (worldwide body of Christ) is at a crossroads, and to many, it is imploding and splitting over the issue of human sexuality. Let us look to Jesus, as the Living Word, in action. How did Jesus respond to those regarded as sinners? The grace and truth in love trumps all..."