The Towel Brigade …Loving one another as He has loved us …

The Towel Brigade … John 13:34-35 The Message  “Let me give you a new command: Love one another. In the same way I loved you, you love one another. This is how everyone will recognize that you are my disciples—when they see the love you have for each other.”

The Target … Living very Close to the Heart of Jesus … What are God’s priorities?

“Lifting People through the Power of the Cross” Lifted to Love Lifted to Worship Lifted to Serve Lifted to Grow Lifted to Reach

Hitting the Target of God’s Priorities… Loving God and Loving people

Matthew 22:36-40 36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 37 Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

John 13:34-35 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

“Fellowship of the Towel Community.” Everyone sensed they belong and are accepted. Everyone practiced affirmation in our caring and speech Everyone was valued because of their uniqueness as God’s very gifted and valued person Where when in trouble there was an urgent call and all appropriate gifts responded with “Skin On.”

The call to allow God’s New Command to capture us…

The Radical (New) Jesus ethic …Towel Lessons … Love the NEW COMMAND of Christ ~ John 13:34 Love as a life giving family ~ Hebrews 13:1 Love by serving one another ~ John 13:4-5 Love as Jesus loves us ~ I John 13:34 Love even when it’s costly ~ I John 4:10-12 Love even when our love is rejected I John 3:13-16 Love in Word and Deed I John 3:16-20 Loving one another the Priority ~ Matthew 22:39

Let my Christianity change my everyday living levels. I John 4:19-21 19 We love because he first loved us. 20 If anyone says, “I love God,” yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. 21 And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.

Practical ways to practice loving… The little things … Seeking ways to demonstrate Kindness Be careful not to disregard, dismiss or discount 3. Quickly clear up conflict and misunderstanding or hurt. 4. Love in both Word and Deed

Promises of obeying Jesus in this command …John 15:9-17 Experience the love of the Father vs. 9-10 I will experience His Joy vs. 11 I am given Insider information vs. 15 I will gain a deeper sense of His appointment and purpose vs. 16 I will experience greater dimension of fruitfulness vs. 16 My prayer life will be more effective vs. 16

Impact on our world… John 13:35 By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” The church becomes salty again … 2. The world gets a clue… Our friends realize that what we experience in Christ and with each other is …”Exactly what they Need!”

This kind of Community is Supernatural … I John 4:10-12 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

Are we on Target? Transforming Communities are a people who have been transformed by Christ and impacting everyone they touch… Loving God with Everything in you … Loving others (neighbors) as you do yourself…