Condor Jesus loves you! Do you believe it? Perhaps you believe this because of what the Gospel of John chapter three verse sixteen says:

"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."

Most of us have heard this verse, memorized this verse but it is necessary to stop and think about what it really says. God

loved us so He gave!

When I had the opportunity to share through this column in August of last year I wrote about God's perfection, His perfect love. And I wrote, "If you want to be perfect as God is perfect, if you want to achieve all that God has intended for you to be you must love God and love people."

"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law? Jesus replied: 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 22:36-39.

How are you loving your neighbor as yourself? God loved us so He gave. We love others by giving.

How are you showing your love for God and for others?

"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you." Colossians 3:12-13.

God loved us so He forgave. We love others by forgiving.

Jesus taught in the Gospel of Luke chapter six: "If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because He is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful."

We are commanded to love those that do not first love us, to love those that the world often sees as unlovable and to forgive those that have hurt us and will continue to hurt us. Through this the world will see Christ. God loved us so He gave love. We love others by giving love.

Adam Conder is the student ministry director at the Flora- Bringhurst United Methodist churches.