We Triumph in God’s Love

Triumph in God’s Love Overview

In this powerful Wednesday evening message from NTC Ministries, Pastor Paul Holman continues his teaching series on the triumph of God’s love, drawing primarily from 1 John chapter 3. Delivered on April 2, 2020, at the height of global uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, this sermon challenges believers to move beyond merely receiving God’s love and to actively demonstrate it toward others. Pastor Holman walks through 1 John 3:10-24, unpacking how God’s children are distinguished by their love in action, and how a loveless life remains spiritually stagnant. He draws on Philippians 2:3-5, John 13:34-35, Matthew 6:34, Deuteronomy 30:15, and Romans 8:37 to build a compelling case that love is not an abstract theory but a daily lifestyle. Using vivid illustrations such as imagining Jesus shopping at Walmart, Pastor Holman urges the church to be creative and sacrificial in sharing God’s love even amid social distancing. The message closes with an invitation to accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, and with an exhortation for all believers to grow stronger in God’s Word during seasons of trial.

Triumph in God’s Love Outline

• 00:00 – Worship and Opening Prayer: The service opens with congregational worship music and a heartfelt prayer of intercession for healing, commanding every disease and virus to die in the name of Jesus on behalf of all who are listening.
• 08:30 – Welcome and Introduction by the Host Pastor: The host pastor welcomes the online congregation, shares his growing faith despite the pandemic, and introduces Pastor Paul Holman to deliver the evening’s Word of God.
• 12:00 – The Certainty of God’s Love in Uncertain Times: Pastor Holman introduces the series theme, reminding believers that while the world is full of uncertainty, the love of Jesus Christ is an unwavering certainty to anchor every heart.
• 16:30 – Receiving and Releasing God’s Love — 1 John 3:10-14: An exposition of 1 John 3:10-14 showing how God’s children are distinguished from the world by their active love, and how receiving God’s love requires building a genuine relationship with Him rather than merely knowing about Him.
• 22:00 – Self-Sacrificing Love and Unity — Philippians 2:3-5: Pastor Holman explores Philippians 2:3-5 and Psalm 133, highlighting that authentic humility, unity, and concern for others over self are the marks of a follower of Christ who reflects Jesus’s own motivation.
• 28:30 – Jesus as the Model of Love in Action: Through the vivid illustration of Jesus going grocery shopping in today’s world, Pastor Holman contrasts Jesus’s eager pursuit of opportunities to bless others with a self-centered mindset, calling believers to adopt Jesus’s way of life.
• 34:00 – Creative Love During Quarantine — 1 John 3:17-19: Practical application drawn from 1 John 3:17-19, urging believers not to shut themselves in spiritually but to find creative, sacrificial ways to show and share God’s love through technology, letters, texts, and acts of generosity.
• 39:30 – Bold Confidence Before God — 1 John 3:20-23: Pastor Holman unpacks 1 John 3:20-23, teaching that when believers walk in love they experience boldness in prayer, receiving from God because they keep His commands and live to please Him.
• 43:30 – More Than Conquerors — Romans 8:37: The climax of the message anchored in Romans 8:37, declaring that God has made believers more than conquerors and that His demonstrated love is the glorious victory over everything the world can bring.
• 46:00 – Salvation Prayer and Closing Exhortation: Pastor Holman leads listeners in a prayer of salvation, inviting anyone who has never received Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior to do so, and challenges all believers to grow in the Word and allow God’s love to flow through them daily.

Scripture References

1 John 3:10-24, Philippians 2:3-5, Psalm 133:1, John 13:34-35, Matthew 6:34, Deuteronomy 30:15, Romans 8:37, John 3:16

Key Takeaways

• God’s love is not meant to be hoarded but to flow through believers like a river, reaching every person they encounter in daily life.
• A loveless life remains spiritually dead — demonstrating love toward fellow believers and the world is the defining mark of a true child of God.
• In seasons of uncertainty, Christians are called to focus on the certainty of God’s unwavering love rather than on circumstances beyond their control.
• Faith and love operate similarly — both require action; just as faith without works is dead, God’s love without demonstration is powerless in the world.
• Believers are more than conquerors through Christ, meaning no pandemic, fear, or crisis can ultimately defeat those who are rooted in God’s demonstrated love.
• Building a personal, intimate relationship with God through daily Bible study is the foundation for expanding one’s capacity to receive and give His love.
• God has made believers creative, bold, and resourceful — every challenge is an opportunity to advance His kingdom and show the love of Jesus Christ to a searching world.

Triumph in God’s Love Notes

God’s Love Demands Active Demonstration

Pastor Holman anchors the entire message in 1 John 3:10, which draws a clear line between the children of God and the children of the evil one based on visible love and righteousness. This is not a passive distinction. The text insists that anyone who does not demonstrate love toward fellow believers is not living with God as their source. The pastor emphasizes that salvation is more than a prayer — it is the beginning of a relationship that grows, deepens, and inevitably overflows into the lives of others. God’s love is always moving outward.

Unity as the Soil Where Love Flourishes

Drawing from Philippians 2:3-5 and Psalm 133, Pastor Holman makes a compelling case that pride-filled opinions and self-promotion are the enemies of the unity God commands. Psalm 133 declares that it is in unity that the Lord commands His blessing, even life forevermore. The pastor urges believers to abandon every display of selfishness and instead consider the example Jesus set — authentic humility that places others first. This mindset of Christ is not optional for the believer; it is the very motivation that should drive every interaction and decision.

Jesus Was Always Looking for Opportunities to Bless

One of the most memorable illustrations of the sermon pictures Jesus walking through a modern grocery store. Rather than dreading interruptions, Jesus was the kind of person who looked forward to encounters with people in need. He healed all who were oppressed, turned water into wine to bless a wedding, and fed thousands with almost nothing. Pastor Holman uses this image to challenge believers to shift their mindset from inconvenience to opportunity — the same love that drove Jesus now lives in every believer, and it is always searching for a way to flow outward.

Practical Love in a Season of Isolation

Responding directly to the pandemic context of April 2020, Pastor Holman refuses to allow social distancing to become spiritual distance. He calls the church to be creative: write letters, send encouraging texts, start family Bible studies, reach out to estranged relatives, and use every available platform to share the love of God. He notes that Satan intended isolation to breed fear and withdrawal, but God intends this season to stretch believers into new and inventive expressions of love. The means may change but the mandate never does — show and share the love of Jesus Christ.

Bold Prayer Flows From a Life of Love

First John 3:21-22 promises that when our hearts do not condemn us, we can speak face-to-face with God in bold freedom and receive whatever we ask because we keep His commands. Pastor Holman connects this directly to the command of John 13:34-35 — to love one another as Christ has loved us. A life of active, sacrificial love is not only an outward witness; it is the very condition that releases bold, confident, answered prayer. Obedience to the love command opens the pipeline of God’s provision and blessing in every area of life.

Triumph Is the Believer’s Identity in Christ

Romans 8:37 brings the message to its triumphant conclusion: believers are not merely surviving hardship but are more than conquerors through God’s demonstrated love. Pastor Holman insists this is not arrogance but identity — the same love God demonstrated by sending His Son is the love that lives in every believer and constitutes their glorious victory over everything the world can bring. The call to action is clear: receive this love, let it permeate you, and let it flow into a world that is desperately searching for hope it can only find in Jesus Christ.

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