Love Is Everything: A Love that Shines (Part I)

Sermon Title: Love is Everything – Love is our Sunshine

Good News Statement: God’s love is everything and God’s love is for us

Summary: Love is more than something we define, more than something we say, more than something we feel: love is what lives within us and changes us every day.

Preached: Sunday, February 1^st, 2026 at Dogwood Prairie UMC & Seed Chapel UMC

Pastor Daniel G. Skelton, M.Div.

 

Scripture (NRSV): 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 Today’s scripture reading comes from the words of Paul’s epistle (or letter) to the people in Corinth. As the people in Corinth, the Corinthians, are struggling to maintain the faith, Paul reminds them of one of the best gifts that they have received: the gift of love. It’s love that draws the people back to Christ. Our reading comes from First Corinthians, Chapter Thirteen, Verses Four thru Eight. May the hearing and reading of this scripture add understanding to your life.

The Gift of Love

13 If I speak in the tongues of humans and of angels but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. ² And if I have prophetic powers and understand all mysteries and all knowledge and if I have all faith so as to remove mountains but do not have love, I am nothing. ³ If I give away all my possessions and if I hand over my body so that I may boast but do not have love, I gain nothing.

⁴ Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant ⁵ or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable; it keeps no record of wrongs; ⁶ it does not rejoice in wrongdoing but rejoices in the truth. ⁷ It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

⁸ Love never ends…

 

This is the Word of God for the People of God; And all God’s people said, “Thanks be to God.”

 

 

Introduction:

If you have ever been to a wedding, you probably have heard some of these songs: “Can’t Help Falling in Love” by Elvis Presley, “Here Comes the Sun” by The Beatles, “Love is All You Need” also by the Beatles, “Earth Angel” by the Penguins, “Sugar, Sugar” by the Archies, “Sweat Pea” by Tommy Roe, “At Last” by Etta James, “Cinderella” by Steven Curtis Chapman, and “Canon in D” by Johann Pachelbel. For those of the younger generations, some of your wedding songs consist of “All of Me” by John Legend, “Perfect” by Ed Sheeran, “Better Together” by Us The Duo, “Marry Me” by Jason Derulo, “Count on Me” by Bruno Mars, “Joy of My Life” by Chris Stapleton, “The Rest of Our Life” by Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, “When I Say I Do” by Matthew West, “You Are the Reason” by Calum Scott, “From the Ground Up” by Dan and Shay, and possibly “You Make My Dreams (Come True)” by Hall and Oates. And for this current generation, I bet the song that you will hear at their wedding will be “Lover” by Taylor Swift.

I’m sure many of us have heard at least a few of these songs. But the more I ponder this list, the more I think about a certain song that was played at Emily and I’s wedding, at my brother’s wedding, at my sister’s wedding, at my parent’s wedding, and possibly at your wedding. This song was featured in the 1998 movie The Parent Trap as the viewers witnessed the wedding of Nick and Liz. Four years prior to The Parent Trap, two children named Waldo and Darla captured the hearts of the viewers as they sang this song during a talent show in the 1994 movie The Little Rascals. To be honest with you, the song that I am talking about was released 30 years before the releasing of The Little Rascals, and it was sung, not by children, but by an individual named Nat King Cole. The song I am talking about is “L.O.V.E.”

Recite it with me, if you know it: “L is for the way you look at me; O is for the only one I see; V is very, very extraordinary; E is even more than anyone that you adore…” How many of you have heard this song? How many of you have heard it played during the reception of a wedding? How many of you included this song on your wedding playlist? It is evident that this 1964 song has left quite an impression since we are still hearing and singing it 62 years later. But why? Why has this song lasted for more than half-a-century? What makes this song a song of weddings of the past, present, and future across multiple generations? What does this song teach us about love?

For the next few weeks, we are going to use the song “L.O.V.E.” by Nat King Cole to help us understand the love that Christ gives us, and how we need this love in our life. Hopefully, by the end of this sermon series, we will be able to write our own definition (and maybe song) to the love that is in our heart, in our life, and in those that love us back. If you had to spell love, what words would you use to spell something that changes your life every day?

 

Body:

Love. It’s a word that has captured the curiosity of people for thousands of years. What is love? Is love an emotion? Is love an action? Is love something we only feel inside of us? Is love an expression of our past, present, or future? How does one love someone else? How does one love themselves? How do we know that love is real? Where does love come from? Who said “I love you” first? Is love important? I bet if I asked each of you to define the word ‘love,’ many of you would have a different definition. Why? Because love is sometimes hard to describe and even articulate.

I love how Dennis Nealon begins his article on “The Science of Love” published on the webpage for Harvard Medical School. He stated, “Love has been the source of ceaseless fascination since antiquity. Artists have tried to capture its beauty and darkness in books, paintings, and songs. Behavioral scientists have explored love as a social ritual, psychologists have studied its pathological manifestations, and evolutionary biologists have sought to define it as a drive linked to the very survival of our species.”[1] Nealon then states, “…love appear[s] to be essential to our overall well-being and, indeed, survival…”[2] In an article published in Psychology Today, Lybi Ma shares that love is considered to be one of our “most basic and fundamental needs.”[3] If you are having a troubling time defining what ‘love’ is, you aren’t alone. Artists struggle to capture its core and scientists, psychologists, biologists, and hundreds of others have struggled since the genesis of time to describe and define love. However, what they have concluded is that love is essential to our overall well-being and survival: it’s a basic and fundamental need. Therefore, as The Beatles famously sang, “Love is all you need.”

To be honest, we know we need love. We know, although mysterious, that love is something we can’t live without. We understand that even though we can’t define love that doesn’t mean we can’t show or offer love. We know we need love. But we also want to know what love is. Today, we focus on the first letter of the word ‘love’ which is ‘L’. And based upon scripture we learn that ‘love’ is essential, effective, and eternal. But first, let me take a few minutes to explain why Paul has chosen to enlighten the people of Corinth on what love is.

 

Movement One: An Introduction to First Corinthian 13…

[4]The words of 1 Corinthians 13 have a different tone and rhythm than Paul’s other writing in this letter. Chapter 14 seems to start where chapter 12 left off, leading some to think Paul inserted chapter 13 into his letter at a later time. Paul begins this chapter by describing just how useless, even destructive, spiritual gifts are when not applied from the standpoint of love. (Love is all you need.) Displays of tongues, prophetic powers, and supernatural spiritual knowledge may be impressive, but they are worthless if not used as intended by God, out of a heart of love for Him and other believers. Even the most spiritual of activities, selling everything to give to the poor and sacrificing one’s life to be burned for the sake of others, gains a person nothing if not given in love (1 Corinthians 13:1–3).

Following the opening verses to chapter 13, Paul describes the love he’s talking about. It’s not a love of swollen feelings that may come and go. It’s not the love of flowery or eloquent words. This is God’s love—from the Greek word agape—often described as “unconditional love” by Christians. It is unconditional in the sense that it does not depend on the one being loved, but on the commitment of the one acting. We will explore this more later on.

Paul uses 14 verbs, actions, to describe this love. Seven are positive statements about what love does, and the other seven are negative statements about what love does not do. In all cases, true Christian love is about setting one’s self aside for the good of other believers. Lack of love was at the heart of nearly all the problems found within Corinth during that time which is why Paul chooses to make love a priority in this letter, which is why love is still important today.

 

Movement Two: How Does Scripture demonstrate love…

It’s important to note that Paul’s love is not something he created all on his own. Rather, how he defines love is found within scripture. Biblically, the word love appears throughout the scriptures in several commandments, letters, scenarios, and teachings. For example, John 3:16 highlights the foundational Christian message that God loved the world enough to send His Son; 1 John 4:8 defines God’s character by His love, stating that whoever does not love does not know God; 1 Corinthians 13:13 identifies faith, hope, and love as abiding virtues, with love being the greatest; John 15:13 describes the highest form of love as laying down one’s life for friends; 1 Peter 4:8 notes that love covers a multitude of sins; Colossians 3:14 tells us that love binds everything together in harmony; and in Romans 5:8 we read that God’s love is demonstrated through Christ dying for sinners. Paul’s definition of love embodies what scripture has already used to describe love. Paul is simply trying to get the message across again.

Depending on the translation you read from, the word love appears in scripture 731 times.[5] Love appears at least once in sixty of the sixty-six books of the Protestant Bible: it does not appear in 2 Kings, Obadiah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Haggai, or in the book of Acts. Furthermore, we are called to “love our masters,” to “love our neighbors,” to “love our enemies,” to “love ourselves,” to “love the Lord our God with all our heart, mind, body, and soul,” and to remember that the Lord’s love is steadfast and “endures forever.”

Furthermore, when using the word love, the New Testament, which was originally translated into Greek, tends to favor four different words to define love. First, is stroge. Storge is defined as “familial affection.” This type of love and affection exists between family members, friends, or companions. One of the Ten Commandments shows what storge love can look like: “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you” (Exodus 20:12).[6]

Second is phileo. Phileo is defined as “friendship”, hence Philadelphia, the city of brotherly or friendship love. Phileo most often describes a relationship between people focused on a common bond of shared beliefs, values, or interests. An image that comes to mind as an example of this is good friends who look out for each other, who are there for each other, who support one another instead of tearing each other down, and who as the Apostle Paul notes, “[are] kind to one another, tenderhearted [toward one another], and forgive one another” (Ephesians 4:32). Romans 12:10 and Hebrews 13:1 demonstrate this kind of love. Romans asserts, “Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.” And Hebrews notes, “Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters.”

Third is eros. Eros is defined as “passion.” This kind of passionate love is meant to describe a healthy, sensual love between those that are married. God gave us this kind of desire with the clear instruction to express it only within the bonds of marriage. Song of Solomon states, “I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine…” (Song of Solomon 6:3).[7]

Lastly is agape, the very love that Paul writes about. Agape is defined as “charity or unconditional.” Agape love is probably the most talked about of the four kinds of love. It is the highest, most complete form of affection. Jesus gave us many lessons about and examples of agape—a strong, selfless, and sacrificial love—during his earthly ministry. Jesus reminded his disciples over and over again that we are called to show this agape love to God and to other people, whether they are friends or enemies. Jesus tells us, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’” (Matthew 22:27-39). Prior to these words of love, Jesus tells us in Matthew 5:43-46, “’You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven.’” Agape is between us and God, between us and Christ, and between us and others. This love will make the world a better place.[8] This love is a basic and fundamental need for our survival. And what makes this love even more profound is that it is not just a characteristic of being a disciple. Love is universal because, like Jesus did, it speaks to everyone. Paul wants the people of Corinth to live into this idea of agape love, which is what we are called to do, even with those who don’t necessarily believe in what we believe.

For example, in Islam, the love for Allah (God) is considered the highest form of love, emphasizing devotion, reverence, and obedience. Love for fellow human beings is encouraged, encompassing kindness, compassion, and empathy. Islamic teachings highlight the importance of love for the sake of Allah and the responsibility to treat others with fairness, justice, and mercy.

Buddhism emphasizes the concept of love in the form of compassion and loving-kindness. Love is regarded as an attitude of genuine care, warmth, and goodwill toward all beings. Buddhist teachings stress the cultivation of love and compassion as means to alleviate suffering, develop inner peace, and foster harmonious relationships.

In Hinduism love is often expressed through devotion toward the divine. It invokes a deep sense of reverence, surrender, and worship. Love is seen as a unifying force that connects individuals with the divine and with all of creation. Hindu scriptures also emphasize the importance of love and respect within family relationships and society.

Judaism emphasizes the commandment to love God and one’s neighbor. Love is considered a foundational value in building relationships and communities. It involves acts of kindness, justice, and care for others. Love in Judaism is connected to the concept of covenant, emphasizing a reciprocal relationship between ‘God and humanity.’

Why do I share this with you? Because love is more than what we can see. Love is more than what we read. Love is more than what we feel. Love is more than words can express. Love, Christ’s agape love, is what changes the world. Love is what brings people of different races, ethnicities, cultures, beliefs, and traditions together. Love is beyond our control. Love is what brings people together. It changes us and heals us and saves us. This is the love that Paul wanted to share with not just the Corinthians, and not just with us today, but with the world. Because the world needs to feel loved, and it begins with you.

 

Movement Three: How Do You Live Out Love in Your Life…

Returning to our text for today, we now ask ourselves, “How do we live out this love in our life?” First, Paul says, love is patient and kind. It actively waits and actively moves for the good of others. It doesn’t seek to put down others, to tear families apart, to generate pain and hatred, and it certainly doesn’t seek to create enemies. Second, love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. Showing love or having love doesn’t give one the right to put themselves above someone else or treat them in ways that they wouldn’t want to be treated; rather, having love should be what humbles us, what brings us together, and what motivates us to find ways to make this world a better place. Third, love refuses to take any joy or pleasure from wrongdoing or keeping records of wrongs. Instead, it declares that which is true, and is worth celebrating above all. Love loves the truth. Love doesn’t set limits on love. Love does not declare, “This far and no further.” Love keeps no record of wrongs but instead rejoices in all things.

Fourth, love bears, or puts up with, all things for the good of other believers. That is true even if that means loving from a greater distance to avoid the active abuse of others. Fifth, love believes all things, pushing the burden of truthfulness onto others instead of carrying the burden of uncovering falsehood. Offering love is a sign of belief in the person. Sixth, love doesn’t stop hoping for other believers to do good, no matter the evidence of the past. Love doesn’t quit when the trials of life pile up. Love doesn’t come crumbling down during trials. Love doesn’t get stuck in the valley of death. Love doesn’t succumb to tribulations. Love keeps going. Has love ever given up on you? Or are you the one who has given up on love?

Seventh and lastly, Paul sums it up: Love never fails. Love never fails because it is essential, effective, and eternal. Love is essential in the sense that it reminds us to check our actions: do our actions reflect some sort of sacrifice for others? Many of us here, have been going to church, and volunteering in various ways for years. How do we know if we are participating for the right reasons? Motivations can change over time. That is one of the reasons that we need to form friendships with other believers in Christ that know how essential “Agape” love is to serving Christ. If we don’t invest our time, and our vulnerability in our brothers and sisters in Christ, we might not have anyone to check up with from time to time to see if we are still witnessing to Christ by acting out of love. Love is essential because it motivates us to make sure that we are loving in ways that reflect the agape love of Christ.

Love never fails because it is effective. When you tell someone you love them, you effectively change their life. The first time I said “I love you to Emily was May of 2018 in my parents’ garage. She met me at a local grade school, where I was playing drums for their spring concert, and she followed me back home where we had a meal with my parents. Before she left, nervous and scared, I said “I love you.” And to my surprise, she said it back without hesitation. Her “I love you” has affected my life ever since in many ways. When we said “I love you” in front of family and friends on June 23^rd, 2023, hearing those words affected me even more. To this day, the love Emily shows toward me is effective because every day it changes my life. The love of God, the love of Christ, is effective—whether from the first time you heard or felt it to the last time—because it changes your life every day. That’s the love that we need to share with others. That’s the kind of love that will keep our church alive. That’s the kind of love that will change the world. Love is effective because is changes you every day.

Lastly, love never fails because it is eternal. Time is a progression, and at some point will come to an end. But our choices, specifically our choices motivated by love, they will follow us into eternity. In Romans chapter 8, Paul writes, “nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.” This is our motivation to love others like God loves us. It is not simply about salvation; it is about setting the foundation for the Kingdom of God while we are alive. You were loved from day one and will be loved for eternity. The love that God gives you, the love that Christ showed you, lasts for eternity and nothing and no one can take away that love: embrace it, embody it, and experience it. Let the eternal love of God and Christ remind you, as Paul stated in Acts 20, that there is “life in you yet.” Allow this love to be what motivates you to have a new life in Christ, to do something new, to tell those in your life how much you love them.

You know, we may fail to love, as the Corinthians have clearly demonstrated, but God’s kind of love will always be effective. And unlike spiritual gifts, which will no longer be needed when Christ comes, love will last forever (1 Corinthians 13:4–8). My challenge for you, as a disciple and as a church, is to find a way to live out this love in your life and in what you do so that it does not fail.

 

Movement Four:  What is Love? ‘L’ is for Love…

Love varies among different traditions, rituals, and individuals. There are diverse perspectives on love that highlight its significance in fostering spiritual growth, ethical behavior, and harmonious existence. Love is a human centric quality that unites and is rooted in our innate capacity for empathy, connection, and care. Love is the foundation upon which humanity is built. It is a guiding principle for ethical behavior and promoting the well-being of individuals and communities. Love is a motivating force for acts of kindness, generosity, and compassion towards others. Love is a profoundly human experience, encompassing deep emotional connections, care for others, and a commitment to fostering positive relationships and well-being. It is a concept that holds immense value and significance in the context of human lives and relationships, regardless of religious beliefs.

Essential elements that lead us to love include gratitude, forgiveness, and compassion in action. And we know without love, we suffer, we are nothing—nothing but the sound of rusty gate. Love is a willingness to sacrifice for the benefit of others. It can bring joy, fulfillment, and a sense of purpose to our lives. Love is not just an emotion, but can also be seen as a choice, an action, and a commitment to nurturing and sustaining relationships.  It has the capacity to heal wounds, bridge differences, and inspire acts of kindness and compassion. Love holds the potential to create deep connections, foster understanding, and promote a sense of belonging. It is a fundamental aspect of our shared humanity and a source of immense joy, meaning and fulfillment in our lives.

Church, love is more than how we look others. Love is about feeling the presence of Christ in your heart and doing what he would do. It’s about making sure that love effectively changes the world as it changes you. It’s about realizing how essential love is to your life. It’s about knowing—on your good days and bad days, when everything comes together and when everything falls apart, and when you are on top of the world or when you feel broken—that the love of God is eternal and that it will never fail. It’s not important in how we define love; what is important is how we show love to others.

How will you show the love of Christ to others? How will others know that you love Christ just as much as he loves you? How will you let the love of Christ change you? How will you let the love of those in your life change you? How can your love help change this world? And church, what are we doing to indicate that we are guided by the love of Christ? What sort of sacrifices are we willing to make to make sure that the love we have is essential, effective, and eternal for everyone here and everyone who is not here? Remember, people will know that we are Christians by our love.[9]

You and I both know that this world is in desperate need for a little more love: a little more kindness, a little more compassion, a little more hope. Love will last longer than this world will, but for now, we carry the love that not only saves us every day and changes us and gives us new life, but we carry a love that can bring people together. Love comes in many different shapes and sizes; but when it comes it comes with force and compassion for a better tomorrow.

 

Conclusion:

I want to end this message by sharing with you a brief clip of my niece, who was two at the time, singing “You are my sunshine.” As I listened to this recording this week, I not only thought how this was one of the songs that was played at Emily and I’s wedding, a day when our love grew deeper and more together, but I also thought about how just hearing the voice of someone can remind you of how much you are loved. It’s amazing how hearing someone’s voice can bring you back to reality, can restore you, can put you back together, and can be your sunshine when the skies are gray. You don’t have to say the word “love” to tell someone you love them. Your love can be seen through what you do, what you don’t say, what you sing, from the light within you, from a hug you give, from the holding of one’s hand, from sharing a smile, to riding in the tractor together, to going on car rides together, to eating together, to falling asleep on the couch next to each other, and to simply listening. Love is what you make of it. And hearing my niece sing that song, reminded me that sometimes in life the love that we need is found in the person that is willing to say, “You are my sunshine.”

Deep down, I believe that is what Paul was trying to get the people of Corinth to understand. He wanted them to know about God’s love—a love that is kind and patient, understanding, motivating, encouraging, compassionate, always believing, always persevering, always hoping, and never wanting to give up. Essentially a love that never fails but continues to shine. Love is everywhere and it is everything. Love changes us. Love saves us. And love reminds us that we are not alone. I bet if Paul knew the words to Nat King Cole’s song, he would look at the people and say, “Love is all that I can give to you; Love is more than just a game for two; Two in love can make it, take my heart and please don’t break it; Love was made for me and you.”

How will you share the love of Christ in your life? How will you remind yourself every day that you are loved?

Let it be so…

 

Closing Prayer:

Let us pray: Dear God, your love is amazing. Your love changes us and saves and reminds us of the life that is in us yet. Lord, thank you for this love and thank for putting in our life people who love us just like you love us. In your holy name we pray, Amen.

 

Benediction:

Church, you are loved. You are a ray of sunshine for those in the dark. You are a reminder of how powerful the love of God is. Live out this love. Embrace this love. And share this love with others this week. May the Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; and May the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace (Numbers 6:24-26). In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit go embracing and sharing the love of Christ. And all God’s people said, Amen. Amen. Amen.

 

 

 

[1] Dennis Nealon, “The Science of Love,” Harvard Medical School, published February 10, 2025. Accessed January 28, 2026. https://hms.harvard.edu/news/science-love

[2] Dennis Nealon, “The Science of Love,” Harvard Medical School, published February 10, 2025. Accessed January 28, 2026. https://hms.harvard.edu/news/science-love Nealon quotes research conducted by Richard S. Schwartz and Jacqueline Olds.

[3] Lybi Ma, “The Need To Love”, Psychology Today. Published January 8, 2014. Assessed on January 28, 2026. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/sapient-nature/201401/the-need-love

[4] Let’s begin by reminding ourselves of 1 Corinthians 12. Much of 1 Corinthians 12 corrected misunderstandings about spiritual gifts among the Christians in Corinth. Apparently, some believed that those able to speak in tongues or prophesy were more spiritual than the others. This may have created yet another reason for division in the church, along with jealousy. Paul insisted that every spiritual gift was given by God for a reason and was essential to the church, the body of Christ. He did urge them, though, to desire that the “higher” gifts of apostle, prophet, and teacher be given to the church. But he concluded by promising to show them “a still more excellent way” to serve each other (1 Corinthians 12:31).

[5] It appears in the Old Testament 413 times, in the New Testament 228 times, and in the Apocrypha 90 times

[6] The Apostle Paul reminded spouses of God’s order to seek and show this type of love as well: “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh” (Ephesians 5:25).

[7] Scripture clearly tells us that he cares about what we do with our bodies. Believers are cautioned to avoid showing eros love to anyone but our spouse, so that choices we make honor God. First Corinthians 6:18-20 informs us, “Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body. Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.”

[8] In The Four Loves, C.S. Lewis explores the nature of love. He starts with the Biblical truth that God is love, and sets out to see how our lives can reflect the different aspects of that. In his book, Lewis wrote: “Affection is responsible for nine-tenths of whatever solid and durable happiness there is in our natural lives.” As we become more giving in our spirits over time, more of the selfless agape love will naturally pour out of us. And that will lead to blessings for others, and for us. It is a wonderful cycle that can change the world for the better. He also talks of a maturing process we will ideally go through. First, we make the choice to show love, especially storge and phileo, to others. As we do, our hearts will align more closely with God’s.

[9] “They’ll Know We Are Christians (by our love)”; written by Peter Scholtes, 1966.