“All In” Defined:  completely committed to or very much in favor of something. fully committed to or involved in something. decided, determined, involved. Engaged, attached.

Miriam Webster Dictionary = fully committed to or involved in something

Urban Dictionary = to be totally committed to something

Cambridge Dictionary = in a way that shows a lot of determination and a willingness to take a big risk in order to achieve something:

Words of Worth.com = a full commitment to a task, cause, or even a person. 

Matthew 22:37-38, Mark 12:30

In Matthew 22, we read about how the Pharisees, students, and teachers of the Law of Moses tested Jesus by asking Him to choose one great commandment. The Pharisees had 613 commandments of the law which they distinguished into greater and lesser, and now they were challenging Jesus. However, without any difficulty, Jesus responds by saying,

Matthew 22:34-40, But when the Pharisees heard that He had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. 35  Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, 36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” 37 Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 “This is the first and great commandment. 39 “And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 “On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”

The First Commandment. Love the Lord…with all of your HEART, with all your SOUL, all of your MIND…and with all of your STRENGTH (Mark 12:30)

He Desires to Hear Us Say… “I Love You Back”

All-In… “I Love You…Back!”

 Most people would thrill to live a “book of Acts” life. His people were collectively a place of salvation, healing, giving, evangelism, and miracles! God has promised that He never changes…James 1:17, Hebrews 13:8.

1) We want to mirror the NT church.

2)  To achieve this…we must follow their methods.

3)  To achieve this…we must obey the mandate. (Matthew 22:37-38)

4)  To achieve this…we must have motivation…fall in love with Him!

The Lord loves us with an unconditional love that passes knowledge. In a world where there are so many distractions and demands…how can we cultivate a fervent love for the Lord? Too often we find ourselves in the same struggle as the church at Ephesus…

Revelation 2:1-7,  Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks;  2 I know thy works, and thy labor, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars:  3 And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast labored, and hast not fainted. 4 Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. [Weymouth "...you don't love me as you did at the first..."]  5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.  6 But this thou have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitanes, which I also hate. 7 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcomes will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God. [He commends them for their works, their weariness, their will, and their ways. However, Christ’s indictment was related to their diminished love for Him. The antidote was to remember, repent, and repeat!] 

I believe that there are at least four areas where we can revive our love for Him…so that we might reciprocate love toward Him…