Fresh Start Bible Church

Walk As Jesus Did. Devotional from Youverison

Have you ever asked yourself, “How did Jesus live His life?” “What does obeying Him look like?” “How does He want me to live?”

These are great questions to ask—in order to discover what God expects from those who love Him.

1 John 2:4-6 says this:
“Whoever says ‘I know him’ but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way which he walked.” (ESV)

When Jesus was with His disciples, He said to them, “This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you.” (John 15:12 NLT)

When His followers loved each other, it was a sign of their obedience to Jesus—and the same is true for us. We are told by John in his letter to a group of Christians that it is God’s commandment that “we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us.” (1 John 3:23 ESV)

Our love for those in the global Church is a mark of obedience, and a sign that God lives in us. By doing this, we know that God abides in us. To walk as Jesus did is to love those in the Church with compassion, faithfulness, and humility. It’s by this love that the world will know we are His disciples (John 13:35).

Living like Jesus isn’t about checking off a list of things we should or shouldn’t do. It’s about living a life that is so rooted in God’s love that we long to obey all His commands.

Living like Jesus looks like sacrificially loving the people God made and sent His Son to die for—starting with the people who call Jesus their Savior.

Most of the New Testament is devoted to encouraging believers how to live with one another. So this week, take some time to read through the apostle John’s letters in the New Testament and look for ways you can put into practice Jesus’ commandment to love one another.

Love Compelled Him. Devotional from Youverison

Jesus said a lot of powerful, enlightening, and important things. But there’s one command that sums it all up…

“My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.”
‭‭John‬ ‭15‬:‭12‬ ‭NIV‬‬

It sounds simple, right? But when we look at Jesus’ life, how did He love? And how can we strive to love like He did?

Love compelled Jesus to give up His privileges. As Creator and Lord, Jesus can do whatever He pleases. But instead, the Word (Jesus) became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14)—temporarily relinquishing His rights so that we could be right with God.

Love compelled Jesus to prioritize people. The woman at the well. The man with leprosy. A Roman officer. A blind beggar. Peter’s mother-in-law. The widow’s son. A despised tax collector. Even the thief hanging next to Him on the cross. Jesus didn’t see problems—He saw and loved people.

Love compelled Jesus to serve others. He washed His disciples' feet, pursued the marginalized, had compassion on the sick, weary, and broken. In the end, He gave His own life for us.

Love compelled Jesus to value truth and grace. In a world where many elevate grace while others only magnify truth, Jesus valued both. He was passionate about God’s ways and God’s Word while also showing great compassion to those who needed it most.

If we’re ever unsure about how to love others, let’s look to Jesus as the ultimate example. He lived selflessly, prioritized other people, served to the point of death, and valued both truth and grace.

And as we love like Jesus, we will become more like Him.

What Does God Want? Devotional from Youverison

“What is God’s will for my life?”
“What is my purpose and calling?”
“What can I do to please God?”

In the New Testament, Jesus provides the answer to those questions by telling His followers to love God and love people. In the Old Testament, the prophet Micah—empowered by the Holy Spirit—summarized God’s will for Israel by saying:

“He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”
‭‭Micah‬ ‭6:8‬ ‭ESV‬‬

These words were penned during a time when God’s people were trying to please Him with sacrifices, offerings, and going through religious motions—while living lives of deception, violence, and pride. But as the prophet Hosea writes, “I [God] desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.” (Hosea‬ ‭6:6‬ ‭NIV‬‬)

God is after our heart motives, not our outward religious activity or begrudging obedience.

Let’s break down what God desires of us:

- DO JUSTICE. Doing justice requires faith and actions working together: helping the hurting, defending the weak, dealing fairly with the people we encounter, and speaking for those who cannot speak for themselves. In other words, to do justice, we must love others as we love ourselves.

- LOVE KINDNESS. The mercy of God is an extreme kindness. And because we’ve been shown undeserved kindness by Him, we can show undeserved kindness to others. God desires these things more than endless “I’m sorry” speeches. God is kind to the grateful and the wicked (Luke 6:35), so we should be too.

- WALK HUMBLY. Be teachable. Be moldable. Remember: You’re not God. You have limitations. You need a Creator and Savior. You’re only here because God spoke you into existence. So confidently embrace who you are, and who you are not, because it’s when we live fully surrendered to God that He does incredible things through us.

Seeking justice, loving kindness, and walking humbly—that is what God wants from us. So in a world that’s saturated with injustice, hatred, and arrogance, let’s be people marked by these three things.