6/21/2026 Midtown Church – Sacramento Campus

“God Is Love”

Dr. Efrem Smith

 

 

Biblical Foundation:

  • 1 John 4– A Love That Human Beings Can’t Produce On Their Own
  • Two kinds (or expressions of the same kind) of love being presented in 1 John – Agape’ and Agape’o
  • Agape’ Love- The Unconditional Love of God. (Romans 8:35-39)
  • Agape’o Love- The Love of God Flowing Thru Us (1 John 4:7)

 

Big Question of The Sermon:

  • What Kind of Love Comes From God?

 

1. A Greater Love

  • 1 John 3:1-3
  • The great love of a Heavenly Father. God as Father to show that God is relational. Not just a Deity, but a Father.

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2. A Sacrificial Love

  • 1 John 3:16-18
  • God gives to us so much more than we could ever return. Christ gave His life out of love. Our generosity shouldn’t primarily be for a tax deduction, but out of sacrificial love.

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3. A Communal (Community Building) Love

  • 1 John 4:7-12
  • 1 John 4:19-21
  • A love not just for an individual’s needs, but for a community’s needs. Loving each other as a sign of how great God’s love is. Beloved Community (Dr. Martin Luther King)

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Final Thought: A Love For the World

  • John 3:16-17, Psalm 136:1-26
  • God’s revolutionary, redeeming, reconciling, and restorative love. A love that impacts humanity and creation (the world).
  • God loves us so much that the mission is our salvation, not our condemnation. This is the kind of love that should be embodied and expressed by those who follow Christ.

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