First Commandment

"These notes accompany Mike Bickle's teaching series The First Commandment. We were created with a longing to be wholehearted. Nothing satisfies the human spirit more than giving the deepest affections of our heart to God. How do we do this? What does it look like to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength? Mike Bickle calls the Body of Christ to a deeper understanding of what it means to love the Lord. Matthew 22 clearly reveals God's desire-that we might respond to Him with love. He longs for our lives to be given fully to Him, that He might empower us to live holy lives from the inside out, in our affections, thoughts, and words. God is preparing for Himself a pure and spotless Bride at the end of the age, a Bride who will call the nations back to the first and great commandment: You shall love the Lord . . . with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. This is the first and great commandment. (Matt. 22:35-38)