We talk about love an awful lot, and specifically around here, we talk about God’s love a lot. But have you ever thought about the ways that God loves us? Awhile back, a popular author categorized some of the ways we express and receive love into five different ‘love languages.’

They suggested that love is primarily communicated through gifts, words, time, acts of service, and physical touch. Throughout our time together today, we want to explore not just the fact that God loves us, but how God loves us, specifically in these ways, starting with the language of gift-giving.

We’ve all given and gotten plenty of gifts in our lives – some good; some not so good. Sometimes, even a very expensive can totally miss the mark. So what makes a good gift? Ultimately, it’s more than the monetary value of the gift; it’s the thought, time, consideration, and sacrifice that went into it, that shows how important the recipient is to the giver. In other words, it’s not the value of the gift, but the way the gift shows the recipient how valued they are to the giver. A good gift should let you know how important you are to the person who gave it.

John 3:16 goes on to say:

 "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 3:16b)

God’s love for us is revealed in this most costly, inconvenient, and sacrificial gift – the giving of God’s one and only Son – all so that we could know how important and valuable we are to the God of the Universe. If you’ve never experienced this gift before, know that God went to all this trouble to give such a perfect and precious gift with you in mind. All you have to do is open your arms and receive it. It’s a gift of love and life beyond your wildest imagination. Eternal, and beginning right now, with the gift of this very day. So let’s sing and celebrate that together now.