Wednesday - Love on Display
"In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him." — 1 John 4:9
How can we be sure God really loves us?
We don't have to guess. He put it on display for the whole world to see.
The word manifested means "to come out in the open, to be made public." God didn't keep His love a secret. He made it public when He sent His Son to die on the cross for you and me. Jesus stretched out His arms and said, in effect, "This is how much I love you."
Why the cross?
Go from church to church, and no matter the style or the building, you'll see a cross of some kind. I once counted 117 crosses in our own sanctuary!
Have you ever wondered why the cross is the symbol of our faith? To find the answer, look no further than the cross itself.
Its design couldn't be any simpler. One beam runs horizontal. The other runs vertical.
One reaches out — just like God's love. The other reaches up — just like God's holiness. One represents the width of His love. The other represents the height of His perfection.
The cross is the intersection of the affection and the perfection of God. It's the place where God forgave His children without lowering His standards.
Holy and loving.
God is a God of love. But He's also holy, holy, holy. And because He is holy, He can't let sin go unpunished.
"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." — Romans 3:23
"For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." — Romans 6:23
But God didn't want to pour out His judgment on you. So He sent Jesus to die in your place. On that cross, Jesus bore your sin, your suffering, and your shame — so you could be saved.
"But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." — Romans 5:8
The cross shows us how serious our sin is. But it also shows us how immeasurable God's love is. That's why it's the perfect symbol of love.
Billy Graham put it well when he said that from the cross, God is saying, "I love you! I love you! I love you!"
The next time you see a cross — on a steeple, on a necklace, on the wall of our sanctuary — let it remind you: God's love isn't a theory. It's a fact, nailed down in history and put on display for you.
How can we be sure God really loves us?
We don't have to guess. He put it on display for the whole world to see.
The word manifested means "to come out in the open, to be made public." God didn't keep His love a secret. He made it public when He sent His Son to die on the cross for you and me. Jesus stretched out His arms and said, in effect, "This is how much I love you."
Why the cross?
Go from church to church, and no matter the style or the building, you'll see a cross of some kind. I once counted 117 crosses in our own sanctuary!
Have you ever wondered why the cross is the symbol of our faith? To find the answer, look no further than the cross itself.
Its design couldn't be any simpler. One beam runs horizontal. The other runs vertical.
One reaches out — just like God's love. The other reaches up — just like God's holiness. One represents the width of His love. The other represents the height of His perfection.
The cross is the intersection of the affection and the perfection of God. It's the place where God forgave His children without lowering His standards.
Holy and loving.
God is a God of love. But He's also holy, holy, holy. And because He is holy, He can't let sin go unpunished.
"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." — Romans 3:23
"For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." — Romans 6:23
But God didn't want to pour out His judgment on you. So He sent Jesus to die in your place. On that cross, Jesus bore your sin, your suffering, and your shame — so you could be saved.
"But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." — Romans 5:8
The cross shows us how serious our sin is. But it also shows us how immeasurable God's love is. That's why it's the perfect symbol of love.
Billy Graham put it well when he said that from the cross, God is saying, "I love you! I love you! I love you!"
The next time you see a cross — on a steeple, on a necklace, on the wall of our sanctuary — let it remind you: God's love isn't a theory. It's a fact, nailed down in history and put on display for you.
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2026
January
Thursday - Watch and Stay ReadyFriday - Home with the KingTuesday - The Bible is God's Love Letter To UsWednesday - Two are better than oneThursday - All ScriptureFriday - Prayer is EssentialMonday - This Is RightTuesday - Honor Your Father and MotherWednesday - Teach Them DiligentlyThursday - Provoke Not Your Children to WrathFriday - A Legacy of FaithMonday - Enlisting in God's ArmyTuesday - Be Strong in the LordWednesday - Recognizing the Real EnemyThursday - Stand FirmFriday - Soldier of the CrossMonday - Truth Holds Everything TogetherTuesday - Guard Your HeartWednesday - Standing Firm with PeaceThursday - Shielded by FaithFriday - Protect Your Mind and Fight Back with the Word
February
Monday - Prayer Isn’t OptionalTuesday - Praying AlwaysWednesday - Pray SpecificallyThursday - Power of PrayerFriday - Don’t Quit PrayingMonday - Preserved by GodTuesday - My Will vs. Thy WillWednesday - Our Salvation From SinMonday - Ordinary DaysTuesday - A Comfortable Man Who Still CaredWednesday - When The News Breaks YouThursday - From Tears to PrayerFriday - Before God Rebuilds the WallMonday - Prayer Requires PatienceTuesday - Prayer Begins With RepentanceWednesday - Prayer Stands on ScriptureThursday - Prayer Multiplies and SpreadsFriday - From Talking About Prayer to Actually Praying
March
Monday - When God Is Working and You Can't See ItTuesday - God Moves In His TimeWednesday - When The Door Opens Step ThroughThursday - Asking BoldlyFriday - Recognizing God's HandMonday - God is the SourceTuesday - God's Word Nourishes Spiritual GrowthWednesday - Accepted in ChristThursday - The Quiet ChaptersFriday - OppositionMonday - Facing Honest RealityTuesday - The Power of ParticipationWednesday - Recognizing God’s HandThursday - Courage in the Face of OppositionFriday - Restored to BuildMonday - The Power of CommunityTuesday - Your Unique Contribution MattersWednesday - Unity in DiversityThursday - Finding Your Place on the WallFriday - Vision Requires ActionMonday - Is it I?Tuesday - Nothing Is Hidden From Jesus
April
Wednesday - The Danger of Slow DriftThursday - You Have a ChoiceFriday - Choose the CrossMonday - The Weight of SinTuesday - The Cost of SinWednesday - The Depth of God’s LoveThursday - The Victory of the ResurrectionFriday - Your Response to the CrossMonday - A Man After God’s HeartTuesday - The One Nobody ConsideredWednesday - The Lord Was With HimThursday - Faithful Under AuthorityFriday - When Worship Changes the AtmosphereMonday - An "Other Side" MentalityTuesday - Reactions to the StormWednesday - Faith Over FearThursday - Confidence in His Care
May
Friday - No One Ever Cared for Me Like JesusMonday - When You Start Building, They Show UpTuesday - The Enemy Sends Words FirstWednesday - He Always Attacks Who You Are FirstThursday - Don’t Go to the Comments, Go to GodFriday - Pray—Then Get Back to the WallMonday - The Foundation Comes FirstTuesday - Shaped By the WordWednesday - Centered Around GodThursday - The Fruit Is a GiftFriday - Arrows with PurposeMonday - I am lovedTuesday - I Am AcceptedWednesday - I Am ValuableThursday - I Am ForgivenFriday - I Am CapableMonday - The Middle Is the Hardest PartTuesday - When the Work Wears You DownWednesday - When the Enemy Gets LoudThursday - Remember the LordFriday - Refuse to Quit
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