Kerry O’Neill was our guest speaker and gave a very thought provoking and relevant message. Kerry a former professional basketball player and area representative for Fellowship of Christian Athletes
His message was about Love but approached it directly and personally. He talked about labels and how they may be convenient but not helpful. He used the example of what the extreme definition of evangelism has become.
“Evangelical” term that comes from Evangelion, the Good News has been absconded and is now known by most as not even a religious term noting those who have had a born-again experience, but as a political term to denote a voting block.
  • Public impressions of Evangelicals
  • Selfish
  • Rude
  • Anti-Intellectual
  • Anti-Science
  • Bigots
  • Misogynistic
  • Racist
  • Highest percentage of people to:
  • Believe in death penalty
  • Fall for conspiracy theories
  • More racist than non-religious
  • Pro-war
  • Pro Pre-emptive war

How in the world did we get here?

One way – look thru political lens at faith
Rather than looking at politics through faith lens at politics

Then he asked for everyone to turn to the person next to them in the pew and ask to describe Fawn Lake Church
He asked if anyone chose love?

Love is the church, so are we just going to church v. being the church?
Most people will encounter us in community, what is their experience? Do they see true Christian love coming from us?
He cited a song the band Foreigner sang,
Foreigner Lyrics:
I want to know what love is.
I want you to show me.
I want to feel what love is.
I know you can show me.
But for many, what people in the community get is our political opinions, our judgements, our selfishness, our racism.
He cited a quote from Brennan Manning that really should make us think
“The greatest single cause of atheism in the world today is
Christians: who acknowledge Jesus with their lips, walk out the
door, and deny Him by their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving
world simply finds unbelievable.”So do we guess or debate what Jesus would prioritize, we have it recorded. Mark 12:28-31
28  One of the teachers of religious law was standing there listening to the debate. He realized that Jesus had answered well, so he asked, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”
29  Jesus replied, “The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The LORD our God is the one and only LORD.  30  And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind,and all your strength.’ [g]   31  The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ [h]  No other commandment is greater than these.”

The testing point of your LOVE for God is your LOVE for your neighbor.
He cited several passages relative to Love:

  • Matt 5:43-48
  • Matthew 25:37-40
  • Matthew 25:44-45

It is time to get back to basics.
It is time to put first things first.
If everything is a priority, then nothing is a priority.

Kerry spoke of his personal journey that the Lord has him on and he invited us to join him.
Boldly, I believe the Lord is calling us to prioritize love. Time to get on the love train. Buckle up; it’s a path of sacrifice. But it is exciting and it is so worth it.Kerry cited other areas in the world today and perceptions, then quoted from C.S. Lewis: Law of First priority… When first things are put first, second things are not suppressed but increased.
“You can’t get second things by putting them first; you can get second things only by putting first things first. Put first things first and we get second things thrown in: Put second things first and we lose both first and second things.”

He concluded with:
1. God is love
2. God has called us to love God and love our neighbor
3. He then defines neighbor by commanding us to love our enemy
4. And the Lord states that LOVE is the mark of the true believer.