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?” Jesus replied, “The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.”

Mark 12:28-31 (NLT)

For years, God has been portrayed as an angry God, who is sitting on His throne far above the earth watching like a kid with a magnifying glass over an ant hill ready to zap anyone who gets out of line. Unfortunately, it is this kind of image that has pushed people away from God, either out of fear that they cannot measure up or because they want nothing to do with a God that is "out to get them." But, this way of thinking could not be farther from the truth and is completely unbiblical. While, yes, God hates sin and the effects it causes in our lives, He still loves us unconditionally. The Bible teaches in Romans 8:38-39 that NOTHING can separate us from the love of God. 1 John 4:8 explains that GOD IS LOVE and in John 3:16 that because of God's love for the world (all mankind), He sent His only Son to give His life as payment for the sins that separate us from God. It goes on to say in verse 17 that God did not send Jesus to condemn or judge the world, but He sent Him so that we could be saved (our relationship with Him could be restored.)

At River of Hope, we are constantly looking for new ways to express God's love to everyone around us and tear down these false accusations that God is "out to get" people. Project: Love Thy Neighbor began as a prayer in the heart of Pastors Jason and Angie to see people through God's eyes, the way He sees them. The Bible says that Jesus went about doing good and healing those who were sick and oppressed. We are followers of Christ, therefore we must follow His examples. "We must take God's love outside the four walls of the sanctuary to where the people are. When we are walking down the street or in the grocery store, we don't want to see color or financial status, but we want to see the heart of the person. We want to see if they are hurting or in need and then allow God to use us as an outlet for His love."

Project: Love Thy Neighbor is ongoing 7 days a week / 365 days a year. Our team is praying for God to lead us to people that He would like to bless and just remind them that He is there. Some Saturdays, we will go out into the community in teams doing prayer walks or you may find us at the grocery store just putting up shopping carts for people. We may show up in the park to organize a basketball game for the kids who "don't usually get picked." At other times individually, while we are going about our daily lives being led by the Holy Spirit, we will be on the lookout for opportunties show God's love through personal prayer with people, buying a meal or just offering a kind word or loving smile. Even a simple gesture of kindness can make a great impact in the life of someone who is hurting, in need or those that just need to know that somebody cares!

If you would like more information about Project: Love Thy Neighbor, please email us at info@riverofhopechurch.com.