EP. 245 The 4 Habits of Godly Love

To View the Video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/pt8HBDr2GBU

SHOW NOTES

We’re wrapping up our series, The Original Language of Love, with an incredibly powerful truth: what love does. We've explored the meaning of love through the lens of Scripture and the Greek language—now we bring it home by diving into the final phrases of 1 Corinthians 13:4-7. This week is all about the active, enduring, and hope-filled nature of godly love—the kind of love that reflects Christ to a watching world.

This Week’s Anchor Passage:

"Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."— 1 Corinthians 13:7 (ESV)

What Does Real Love Do?

1. Love Bears All Things. The Greek word used here for “bear” (στεγεί, stegēi) means to cover or protect—like a roof shielding what’s underneath. This isn’t passive endurance—it’s active sheltering. Love steps in to protect others from unnecessary shame. When someone falls or fails, the flesh wants to expose—but love, true love, seeks to restore and redeem. As 1 Peter 4:8 reminds us:

"Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins."

This doesn’t mean hiding sin or avoiding accountability. Instead, love chooses private correction over public condemnation. Love seeks to build up, not tear down. It honors dignity even in brokenness.

2. Love Believes All Things. Kimberly explains that this means we give others the benefit of the doubt. Love isn’t cynical—it’s trusting. It looks for the best in others, assuming good intentions until proven otherwise. That said, love is not blind. It doesn’t ignore consistent patterns of harm or deceit. True love judges actions with discernment, not with condemnation. If someone shows you their character, believe them—but love also chooses not to assume the worst right out of the gate.

“Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.” — John 7:24

3. Love Hopes All Things. Hope is what anchors the soul in the storms of life (Hebrews 6:19). Where despair tears down, hope builds up. Love hopes in the transforming power of Christ—both for ourselves and for others. This kind of love celebrates others’ wins, even when we’re still waiting on our own. It doesn’t compete. It doesn’t grow bitter. Love genuinely desires good things for others and sees possibility where others see only problems.

4. Love Endures All Things. The Greek word for “endure” here is hupomenó—a combination of “hupo” (under) and “menó” (abide). It means to abide under pressure, to remain steadfast even in hardship. Tim explains that this isn’t about tolerating abuse or harmful situations—it’s about faithfulness in adversity. When the financial bottom drops out, when health fails, when parenting is exhausting, when marriages hit hard seasons—love remains. It doesn’t quit.This is covenant love. It's the way Jesus loves His Church.

This kind of love is not soft or passive—it’s strong, resilient, and holy. It creates an environment where people can fail forward. It offers grace without compromising truth. It protects, it trusts, it hopes, and it endures—not in our strength, but through the power of the Holy Spirit living within us.

We have the opportunity to create homes—both literal and relational—that reflect this kind of gospel-centered love. A love that brings people closer to Jesus, not shames them into hiding.

We’ve loved sharing this series with you. It's sparked so many meaningful conversations and brought us back to the simplicity and power of what love truly is. Not the cultural imitation, but the biblical definition—the love of God demonstrated perfectly in Christ.

We’re praying that these episodes have challenged and encouraged you to love deeper, speak truth in grace, and live out the gospel in your relationships.

Coming Soon: We’re thinking about diving into a series on the End Times next—if you have questions or topics you’d love us to explore, send them in! We’d love to hear from you.

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