Pastor David Watson · Touch Grass, Week 4 · 1 John 3:10-18
How to Know Your Love for Jesus Is More Than Words
The audio of this teaching is available on Spotify.
It is easy to say we love Jesus. It is harder to live like it. In this message from 1 John 3:10-18, we look at what it actually means for God to have your heart, and how the people around you can tell.
What Does It Mean for God to Have Your Heart?
For God to have your heart means love for Him has become the primary driver of your life. It is more than agreeing with the right beliefs or showing up at church. When God has your heart, His love shapes your choices, loosens your grip on what you hold tightly, and moves you to give your life away for the sake of others the way Jesus did.
The sermon opens with the story of Paul Rosolie, who left New York as a teenager and has spent about 20 years in the Amazon rainforest working to protect it. What stood out was not his drive for fame or success. It was love. He fell in love with a place, and that love reshaped his whole life. That raises a question for every follower of Jesus: what is the primary driver of my life?
What Is the Main Point of 1 John 3:10-18?
The main point of 1 John 3:10-18 is that love is the clearest evidence that someone belongs to God. John writes, “Whoever does not do what is right is not of God, especially the one who does not love his brother or sister” (1 John 3:10). He then contrasts two examples: Cain, who hated and harmed his brother, and Jesus, who laid down His life for us.
How Do You Know If You Are a Child of God?
According to 1 John 3:14, “We know that we have passed from death to life because we love our brothers and sisters.” Love does not earn your way into God’s family. It is the evidence that you are already in it. A key phrase from this message: evidence, not entrance.
The sermon illustrates this with a simple example. If someone claims to be a huge fan of a movie but has never watched it and owns nothing connected to it, there is no evidence of that love. In the same way, John says love for Jesus should be visible in how we live.
What Does the Story of Cain and Abel Teach About Love?
The story of Cain and Abel in Genesis 4 shows two different heart postures. Both brothers brought offerings to God, but Abel brought his best while Cain held back. When God rejected Cain’s offering, Cain let anger take root and killed his brother.
Cain disadvantaged someone else for the sake of himself.
Jesus disadvantaged Himself for the sake of someone else.
John points back to Cain to show where a self-centered heart leads, and points to Jesus to show what real love looks like (1 John 3:16).
What Does It Mean to Love in Action and in Truth?
To love “in action and in truth” (1 John 3:18) means your love is proven by what you do, not just what you say. John gives two practical ways to follow Jesus’ example:
1. Live with an open hand. “If anyone has the world’s goods and sees a fellow believer in need, but withholds compassion from him, how does God’s love reside in him?” (1 John 3:17). When God has your heart, He also has access to everything He has already placed in your hands. Jesus said, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21).
2. Serve like Jesus served. Jesus redefined greatness in Matthew 20:26-28, saying the greatest among us must be a servant. In John 13, He washed His disciples’ feet and told them to love one another the same way. “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:35).
Can You Follow Jesus Without Being Part of a Church?
You can have a personal relationship with Jesus, but John makes clear that relationship always places you in a family. John was writing to a church influenced by a kind of spiritual individualism that said real believers had moved beyond needing the community. John’s answer is that love for God shows up in love for His people. The church is the training ground where real love grows before it spreads to the world around us.
Why Should the Church’s Love Be Different From the World’s?
The church’s love should stand out because it comes from God’s love for us. The sermon shares how Dietrich Bonhoeffer would take his underground seminary students to a hill overlooking a Nazi concentration camp and remind them that what God was building in them had to be stronger than the evil they could see. When God’s people are generous and servant-hearted toward one another, it stirs curiosity and points people to Jesus.
Key Takeaways
Love is the primary driver of the Christian life.
Loving others is evidence of belonging to God, not the way we earn it.
Cain lived for himself at others’ expense. Jesus gave Himself for others.
God does not just want your time or resources. He wants your heart.
Real love leads to real action: an open hand and a servant’s heart.
Growth in love starts small and starts within the church family.
Reflection Questions for Small Groups
What would you say is the primary driver of your life right now?
Where do you see “evidence” of your love for Jesus? Where is it harder to see?
What is something you are holding tightly that God may be inviting you to loosen your grip on?
What is one small, practical way you could serve someone in our church family this week?
Scripture References
1 John 3:10-18 | Genesis 3-4 | Matthew 6:21 | Matthew 20:20-28 | John 13:1-17, 35 | Philippians 2:5-8 | Hebrews 11:4
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Touch Grass sermon series about?
Touch Grass is a sermon series at Bear Creek Community Church walking through the book of 1 John. It helps followers of Jesus figure out what is real, who Jesus truly is, and what a grounded life of faith and love looks like.
Who wrote 1 John and when?
The letter of 1 John was written by the apostle John, one of Jesus’ closest friends, around AD 85 to 90.
Does 1 John 3 teach that we are saved by loving others?
No. 1 John 3 teaches that love is the evidence of salvation, not the cause of it. We pass from death to life through what Jesus did on the cross, and love for others is the fruit of that new life.
What does 1 John 3:16 mean?
1 John 3:16 says, “This is how we have come to know love: He laid down his life for us. We should also lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.” It means Jesus’ sacrifice defines what love is, and His followers are called to live the same self-giving way.
Where is Bear Creek Community Church?
Bear Creek Community Church (BC3) is in Lavon, Texas, serving Lavon, Wylie, Nevada, Copeville, and the surrounding Collin County area. Learn more at bc3.church.
Plan Your Visit
At Bear Creek Community Church, we are devoted to helping people find life with Jesus. Whether you have followed Jesus for years or are just starting to explore faith, there is a place for you here. Plan your visit or reach out if you would like to talk about taking your next step.