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Beloved

    The first and most important commandment is one that we often brush aside. It seems so simple and we've heard it a million times, but are we actually following through? "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind." I think we can all agree that's a pretty intense love.

    Many churches put emphasis on loving others, which is all perfectly fine, but it is interesting to note that "loving your neighbor as yourself" is second to loving God. Our focus should always be on Him above all else. I challenge you today to fall in love with Jesus the way you have fallen for a romantic love interest. Treat Jesus with that same sort of focus and interest. Look for the things that you admire and adore in Him (and I promise you, they're endless) and give Him your heart today.

Luke 10:27 He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” (NIV)

Deuteronomy 6:5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. (ESV)

1 John 4:19 We love because he first loved us. (ESV)

1 John 4:8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. (ESV)

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