...with all your heart

'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'[b] 38This is the first and greatest commandment." (Matthew 22:37).

Jesus' words are still true...the most important commandment we can follow to please God is to love Him--with everything we've got! Love Him more than anything--more than family, more than self, more than country, job, hobby...

How do we DO that?

Several people made demonstrations of their intent to do just that yesterday @ KCC...in a couple of cases, they were parents who were committing themselves to raising thier kids to know God. In about 15 cases, it was an older kid or adult stepping forward to be baptized, showing both ttheir appreciation to God (for sending Jesus to pay for thier sins and give new LIFE), and thier commitment to God--to follow Him with their lives!

Baptism is a huge step, because in doing it, wer'e saying (as KCCers heard yesterday) "I'm ALL IN!" No more dabbling...no 'dipping my toes'--I'm going for it, and giving my LIFE to God, through Christ, as led by His Holy Spirit!

It is abandoment... surrender...commitment...obedience.

...and its in THAT way that we show LOVE for God.

I'm sure God loves it when we express our love for Him in song, and in prayer--assuming that it's coming from a sincere heart.

...but I'm equally sure that he REJOICES when those who say they love Him actually show it by thier actions!

Paul wrote, "...I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual[a] act of worship. 2Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." (Romans 12:1-2).

Offering our bodies to God--in baptism, and in everyday life--is one of the clearest ways we can show Him that we love Him...and it can show up in everything we do!

Today, whether you were baptized or not, if you are a follower of Jesus, live out 'the spirit of baptism' in your life--by giving yourself completely to God.

THAT'S how you can show Him your love.