¹⁶ For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John (3:16)

The very first Bible verse that I remember memorizing as a child was John 3:16. Growing up at First Presbyterian Church of Winter Haven, we had Cherub and Crusader Choirs led by our Director of Music Ministries at the time, Dr. Carl Angelo. Carl was good about teaching us cute little kid songs that were easy to catch on to and tunes that would linger in your head for days.

Even now, several years later if it’s time for me to quote this scripture, I automatically start to sing it. It definitely made an impression at a very early age and I am happy to say it’s the first one that I learned and probably the most important one we all need to know and be reminded of every single day.

God loved us all so very much that He gave up His most precious gift. I can’t imagine giving up my son for anyone, but that’s how much God loves us. And because of that great love and sacrifice, as long as we believe in Him, we will get to spend eternity with God in Heaven. Can I get an Amen because I really want to say a big AMEN after that statement. That’s the basis of our Christian faith and it’s what we need to make sure we proclaim to the world around us. God loves us all and He wants us to spend eternity with Him but we must BELIEVE in Him. So pass on the Good News friends and make sure you’re spreading God’s love everywhere you go! You never know who might be paying attention.

Prayer

God of love, thank You for the gift of Your son Jesus Christ. We thank You for our salvation and eternal life which can only come through You. Help us to be Your hands and feet to those we encounter along the way. Thank You for loving us. Amen.