Weekly Roundup: Sunday, February 16, 2025
When Jesus says, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5: 44 - 45), he is challenging us to love with the same love we were shown when we were enemies of God. It is a challenge to take love to places where it is absent.
If life remains transactional for you, then your life is no better than the one who is living absent of God’s love. If you live only with an eye towards those that benefit you, what true benefit is that? Jesus says, “If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that” (Matthew 5:47).
We are being asked to take love to places where it is absent. This means taking love to places where it has been abandoned. It means taking love to those who have given up on life. Because God loved first, love is already in the places where I am afraid to go.
Love is messy because people are messy, but it doesn’t have to be complicated. It is the simple act of showing up and being present in the lives of others. It is being active when everyone else is passive.
This week, look for opportunities to bring love where it’s missing. Start by praying for someone you’ve struggled to forgive, and take one practical step to demonstrate kindness toward them—whether that’s a handwritten note, a text of encouragement, or a genuine conversation. Volunteer in a place where hope has been abandoned, offer a listening ear to someone who feels overlooked or make time to be present with a friend who’s going through a rough patch. Remember: love isn’t just a feeling; it’s an active commitment to show up, lean in, and serve with the same selfless compassion Jesus has shown us.
Pastor Jamey
(Click Here to Watch the Worship Service from Gainesville First United Methodist Church, Gainesville, Georgia)
Weekend Prayer
Heavenly Father,
Thank You for loving me even when I was far from You. Teach me to love others the same way—especially those who feel unlovable or forgotten. Grant me the courage to step into messy places and bring Your hope where it’s absent. Fill my heart with compassion so I may be a reflection of Your limitless love in all I do. Amen.
Wisdom Nugget: “If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else?” (Matt. 5:47). The love of Jesus is for enemies, strangers, and the broken. Who can you love radically today?
A Question to Consider: What fears or hesitations keep you from taking love into messy places, and how can you trust God to go before you?
Meme of the week
Dad Jokes
Did Adam and Eve ever have a date? No, they had an apple!
What's Cupid's favorite band? Kiss!
Leadership Reflection:
Authentic leadership isn’t about position—it’s about presence. Jesus calls us to love where it’s missing, even when it's uncomfortable or messy. As leaders, we don’t wait for others to act first; we step in with courage, bringing hope to the abandoned and grace to the undeserving.
If we only invest in those who benefit us, we’re no different from the world. Kingdom leadership means loving beyond convenience, serving beyond comfort, and showing up when everyone else walks away.
Great leaders lead with love—not just in words but in action. Where can you lead with love today?
Photo Taken By Me
Book I am reading this week
The Focus Project: The Not So Simple Art of Doing Less by Erik Qualman
Found Interesting on Social Media
Podcast Worth Listening to:
Happening at Gainesville First United Methodist Church, Gainesville, Georgia
Wednesday, March 5 / 12pm Chapel & 6pm Sanctuary & livestreaming
Join us on Ash Wednesday to mark the beginning of this Lenten journey through scripture, prayer, and song. You will have an opportunity to receive the imposition of ashes as a reminder of our mortality and the hope for new life.
Marked by the ashes of repentance, we start Lent with a renewed focus on Jesus and on being intentional about faithfully living as Christ would have us live.
Ash Wednesday service times:
12pm in the Chapel - Lunch afterward, Menu: Vegetable soup, chicken salad or pimento cheese sandwich on croissant, and lemon pie.
Cost is $5. Reservations are not required but appreciated. Contact Mildred Smith in the church office at 770-536-2341.6pm in the Sanctuary & livestreaming (No childcare available)
There will also be a Noon “Ashes on the Square” in Downtown Gainesville
Weekly Blessing and/or Quotes
"Where there is no love, put love—and you will find love." — St. John of the Cross
"Do I not destroy my enemies when I make them my friends?" — Abraham Lincoln
May the Lord fill your heart with His boundless love,
That you may take it where it is missing,
Where it has been abandoned,
And where the world has given up hope.
May you go forth with courage,
Loving even when it’s messy,
Serving even when it’s inconvenient,
And showing up when others walk away.
And may you always remember—
The love you give is not your own,
But the love of Christ,
Who first loved you.
