Every church has an aroma about it. So, what your church’s: Is it a lingering scent of bitterness or indifference—or the aroma of love? In Romans 12:10, Paul gives us a blueprint on how to cultivate the latter, “Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love.” This reveals that the church is not to function like a social club or a business meeting, but like a family where there’s genuine laughter, forgiveness, warmth, and even tears. Such a culture can’t be achieved through clever programs or simply “being busy,” but through showing quiet genuineness and personal love toward each another. So rather than lose affection for, and keep our distance from, those in our congregation, let’s be a church that’s “kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love” (Rom. 12:10).

Sermon: https://churchandfamilylife.com/sermons/684fb3af544d5fe98a8cdd8b

In a world that celebrates what God hates, how do Christians live a life that pleases God? Romans 12:9 gives a clear roadmap on how to answer this question: “Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good.” These three commands tell us is that love is not blind; biblical love hates evil—it clings like glue to what is good. So, are there things in your life that God hates: music, movies, and conversations with corrupt people? If there are, then throw them out and cling to the truth. Don’t just tweak your playlists—transform your affections that create your playlist. Don’t just filter your entertainment—but feed your soul. Glue your life to the word of God, the people of God, and the holiness of God. In this way you’ll learn what true love is.

Sermon: https://churchandfamilylife.com/sermons/684678fb8bcefa77a87b9bd8

In Romans 12:9, Paul gives this pivotal statement: “Let love be without hypocrisy.” This is a call for our love to be genuine. Hypocrisy, by contrast, is saying nice things when we don’t mean it, or doing good deeds just to get something in return. This sin problem extends to all our relationships, even within the church. So how do we know if our love is hypocritical? 1 John 3:20 gives us a simple guide, “For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart and knows all things.” So we need not need despair: if we’re truly redeemed, God, through his Spirit and His Word, will cut through the confusion and show us our hypocrisy, so that we can genuinely love others as Christ loves us (John 13:34).

Sermon: https://churchandfamilylife.com/sermons/683d3eb8466c06ff70c715d4