Love Grew Where the Blood Fell

By Mrs. Judy Gabbard

Decorations: Make a large heart with a cross on it. The heart can be cut from good stiff cardboard and covered with red foil. The cross should be cut from stiff cardboard. You may paint it brown and wind artificial ivy around it. Cut six nine-inch letters of the theme to place above the heart and cross. Put candelabra in the altar. Wind ivy around the candelabra and place small hearts among the ivy.

Service: Have the organist play softly as one of the Sunbeams lights the candles.

Welcome: Welcome to our presentation/coronation. Please pray that God will be honored tonight. Pray for those in the service that are lost. May they hear about the love of Jesus and accept His gift of salvation. Pray for yourself. May we all be receptive to the Holy Spirit as He speaks to our hearts in Scripture and song? Our theme tonight is, "Love Grew Where the Blood Fell." In I John 4:10 we find these words, "He loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins."

Song: "Love Grew where the Blood Fell"

"He loved us." These are just three little words, but what meaning they contain! "He," who is infinitely holy and cannot endure iniquity, loved us. He, whose glory is the astonishment of the greatest of intelligent beings, loved us.

Now the second golden word: He "loved" us. He saw our race ruined in the fall of Adam, and He could not bear that mankind should be destroyed. He saw that sin had brought humanity into wretchedness and misery and would destroy them forever, and He would not have it so. He loved us with the love of pity, and with the love of sweet and strong benevolence.

He loved US-the most insignificant of beings. We were dead in sin. He was wroth with us as a judge; yet, He resolved to save.

Song: "If That Isn't Love"

"He sent His son." God sent. Love caused that mission. It is wonderful to realize that God did not wait till rebellious sinners called to His throne on their own terms of reconciliation, but He reached down and offered mankind a simple plan of love. He sent His Son. Yes, "He…. spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all." He knew what would happen when He sent Him; yet, He sent Him.

Note not only the grandeur of the ambassador, but also the tenderness of the relationship existing between Him and the offended God. "He sent his Son." In verse nine, we read, "his only begotten Son." Christ's death was God in human form suffering for human sin; God incarnate was bleeding because of our transgressions. Are we not carried away with streams of love?

Our first impression of divine love for us begins when the burden that weighs down our souls is rolled off. We think, "Oh, how things are blossoming! Mountains and hills spring up in every direction! The earth is beginning to look extremely beautiful. The forms of loving friends are being raised up to meet our gaze! The sun seems to have just begun to shine forth from the heavens!"

Song: "It's a New World"

"He hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God." (Psalm 40:3).

Those of us who have accepted God's sacrifice of His Son for us will one day stop living on this earth and will live in heaven! Think of the most beautiful sight in the world. Heaven is even more beautiful-so beautiful that no one can imagine it! Think of the brightest color there is. Heaven is even brighter, and it won't ever get dark there! Think of the happiest thing that could ever happen. Heaven is even happier-and no one will ever cry there! Think of the most peaceful time you have ever known. Heaven is even more peaceful-there will never be war there. Nothing can ever go wrong there. No one will be lonely or afraid there-ever! Think of the most fun you could possibly ever have. Heaven is even more fun, and it will last forever! When I reach heaven, I will be glad. Then I will live in that bright and beautiful happiness that will never end, and I will see Jesus forever!

Song: "Ten Thousand Years"

It may be that God has decided that I should live on this earth for a long, long time. With Jesus living in me, I can have a little bit of heaven's peace and happiness right now. All I have to do is love.

Read about the positive and negative aspects of love that are given in I Corinthians 13:1-7. It is patient and kind; it rejoices when truth prevails. It is not boastful, haughty, selfish, or rude. It is not irritable, it does not hold grudges, and it is not glad when others suffer wrongfully.

I do want to be happy until I go to meet Jesus. So, Jesus, help me to love as I live!

God introduces a GMA to the love of Jesus in the Maiden step. After she has accepted Jesus as her personal Savior, the succeeding steps teach her to love as she lives. We have some very special young ladies with us tonight. Listen as I present each of them to you.