Every week, I hear Chris say “love the saints as you leave” at the end of the service. To most, that means talking with friends or someone new for a while before heading home. For many at Faith Bible Church, though, loving the saints goes far beyond Sundays; it is a way of life.

The reason I know this is because my husband and I have been at the receiving end of that Spirit-filled love on multiple occasions. Like our second week at FBC when a couple invited us to dinner simply because we were new to the church, and then welcomed us into their home for a much-needed night of fellowship.

Or my first D-group leader, who quickly became someone I could trust completely because of her love for all of us in her group, displayed week after week through offering a listening ear and biblical counsel.

Or the leaders of our Fusion ministry, who have made us feel like a part of their family and pour into us many times throughout each week, pushing us deeper in our walk with God.

Or just this week, when a family heard of our desire to adopt and cleared their schedule for an evening so that we could ask questions and hear how God knit their family together through adoption.

Why do so many people at FBC love the way they do? I think I have the answer. It is because those people understand the charge of 1 John 4:7-21. They love because God first loved them. They are filled with God’s love, and that love overflows onto all of the people around them.

I am so thankful to be part of God’s family, and my prayer is that God continues to develop in me an understanding of His love in a way that overflows onto those around me.  When I don’t love like that, it is an indication I need to focus on the cross, the ultimate example of God’s unconditional love for us. It is only in light of the gospel that people are able to love like those who have loved us at FBC.