Extravagant Love

Me and my boys


Eric's sister, Kim, was here visiting from San Fran this weekend. We all had fun with her, but Judah especially had fun with his Aunt Kim!


Taken by Aunt Kim. We always get some good pictures when Kim is in town.

"Watch what God does, and then you do it, like children who learn proper behavior from their parents. Mostly what God does is love you. Keep company with Him and learn a life of love. Observe how Christ loved us. His love was not cautious but extravagant. He didn't love in order to get something from us but to give everything of himself to us. Love like that."
Ephesians 5:1-2 (The Message, emphasis mine)

This is the verse that I used for cell group tonight. As we spend time with God (reading the Word, prayer, worship, fellowship through out the day) we see how He loves us. His love is not cautious, but extravagant. His love is not guarded or prudent but, according to dictionary.com, the definition for extravagant is, "excessively high, exceeding the bounds, unrestrained, fantastic wild*, absurd, preposterous." Jesus showed His love for us in this, that while we were still sinners Christ died for us. His love has no bounds. It is unending. He held nothing back to show us His great and unfailing love. Do you have revelation of that love? Like I told the girls, when you do it completely wrecks your life. How can you go on living an ordinary, day-to-day life when you realize that the God of this universe loves you more than anything and gave everything to show you that love? No, you just can't. (And I don't mean just knowing about, I mean knowing in your spirit that incredible love.)

Then, the verse ends with "love like that." Wow, that's how we are called to love. That extravagant, unrestrained, fantastic wild love. And, who do we love like that? God? Yes! Our children and families? Yes! That person that we don't really get along with? YES YES YES!!! We are called to live everyone with a love without bounds. A love that does not love in order to get something, but that gives everything of ourselves.

We must first receive God's extravagant love before we can ever give it. The Bible says that out of the overflow of the mouth the heart speaks. What is in your heart? What kind of words come out of your mouth? If they're words you're not proud of let God mold and form you. Take the time to receive his GREAT love!

*Isn't is hilarious that a dictionary used the words "fanstatic wild" together? That's how amazing God's love is. The dictionary writers had to use some funny combo like that!