Beyond Church | Growing Churches Podcast

Without Love - Pastor Rachel Main

The episode is a sermon from the Beyond Church Growing Churches Podcast, delivered by Pastor Rachel Main. She opens by reading 1 Corinthians 13 from Eugene Peterson's paraphrase, emphasizing that without love, we are 'bankrupt.' Main shares that she has been personally reflecting on this as she organizes her life for the new year. She connects this to Beyond Church's culture code, an acronym LIFE (Love, Inspiration, Fun, Excellence), which exemplifies the kingdom of God. The sermon then shifts to the story of the prodigal son from Luke 15, read from the Passion Translation. Main explains that both passages use the Greek word 'agape' for love, which signifies a selfless, unconditional, and sacrificial divine love. She describes agape love as defined by actions like patience and kindness, not just emotions. From the prodigal son story, Main extracts three practical applications for how the church can exemplify agape love. First, love gives generously to the undeserving, as God does for us. Second, love lets go and doesn't control, even when people walk away. Third, love looks for the opportunity to forgive quickly and bless, illustrated by a personal story about anticipating guests as a child. The episode includes two prayers: one for listeners accepting Jesus for the first time, and another for believers to grow in agape love in 2026. Main encourages standing for the latter prayer as an active step, emphasizing that agape love is an act of the will. The sermon is structured around scriptural exegesis, personal anecdotes, and practical challenges, aiming to inspire both spiritual commitment and behavioral change.

As heard by us

A scripture-led sermon on agape as the active shape of Christian love.

"Without Love" frames 1 Corinthians 13 as a plain test of Christian life: eloquence, spiritual language, and visible activity are empty when love is missing.

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Why you'd press play

When love needs to become a practice, let 1 Corinthians 13 and Luke 15 reset the room.

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