My Relationship With First Connections

first: things first!

Everything Depends on This!

There are times when I say, “Listen carefully because this is really, really important�” There were times when Jesus did that� Certainly, what he said was far more important, and what he said was not conveyed in quite the same way, but what he said was really, really important� One of those moments began with a question by one of the religious leaders� “Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?”

That question, undoubtedly, is a very important question� You could ask it another way, “What is the most important thing which God wants us to do?” Without hesitation, Jesus answered, “‘You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment� A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself�’ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments�” (Matthew 22:36-40, NLT)

Jesus, in a few short sentences, helps us understand that relationship supersedes all which is in the law and in the words (demands) of the prophets. The first and fundamental relationship is with God. We are to love the Lord with all of our being; heart, soul and mind� This relationship is based on love, the very love which God has shown to us “We love because he first loved us.” (I John 4:19, NRSV)

The importance of what Jesus said is extended to the next level of relationship, our relationship with others, and we are to love our neighbors as ourselves� We must begin with the understanding that God loves us, then we respond by loving God, not out of fear or obligation, but because we are touched by and thankful for God’s love for us� In that loving relationship with God, we begin to see our neighbors through God’s eyes, which leads us to love them� When we begin to love God and our neighbors, that stirs up a love for ourselves�

Jesus distilled this profoundly important understanding in an easily understood way; Love God, love your neighbor and love yourself� This, Jesus reminds us, is really, really important! Everything depends on this�

Peace and Grace, David McEntire

CONTENTS

My Relationship With First Connections � � � � 2 Meet Megan Gallagher � � � � � � � � � � 3 Prayers & Praise � � � � � � � � � � � � � 3 Patience and Faith by Carolyn Lindsey � � � � � � � 4 Our New Leadership � � � � � � � � � � 5-7 Lay Leadership Academy by John Naser � � � � � � 8 Relationships: Forever Friends by Laura Lusa � � � � 9 The Cornerstone of Living by Bob Kuhn � � � � � � 10

a publication of First United Methodist Church, 72 Lake Morton Drive Lakeland, FL 33801, 863-686-3163 • www.firstumc.org #1stLKLD