The Spirit Pours Love Into Our Hearts
Month 10: Loving One Another · Walking in the Spirit
Today's Scripture
Read together: Romans 5:5 & Galatians 5:22-23
5 And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us. — Romans 5:5
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law. — Galatians 5:22-23
Memory Verse
“A new commandment I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you also must love one another.”— John 13:34 (BSB)
📖 Bible-in-a-Year (optional)
Today's reading: Matthew 1–2
Reading the whole Bible in a year — do this when you have extra time.The Heart of It
Yesterday we said love overflows from being loved. Today we learn how God gets His love inside us in the first place. "God has poured out His love into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us" (). Read that slowly. The love isn't something we squeeze up from inside ourselves. It's poured in from God. It comes by a Person, the Holy Spirit, who lives in everyone who belongs to Jesus. When Jesus saves you, He doesn't just forgive you and leave you to try harder. He fills you with His Spirit. And the Spirit brings God's own love right into your heart.
That's why the very first item on the Spirit's fruit list is love. "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience…" (). Fruit isn't manufactured. It grows, quietly, as a branch stays connected to the vine. So the way to become more loving in our family isn't mostly about rules and effort. It's about staying close to Jesus and asking His Spirit to fill us. Even the littlest of us can pray, "Holy Spirit, pour Your love into my heart today, and help me love my brother." That's not a magic spell. It's leaning on the real Helper God has given us. The Spirit-filled life is a loved life that becomes a loving life.
Around the Table
The Holy Spirit pours God's love into our hearts — like filling a cup right up to the top!
Let's do it: Hand on your heart: "Holy Spirit, fill me with God's love so I can be kind today!"
The very first fruit the Spirit grows in us is love. Fruit grows when we stay close to Jesus.
Let's talk: What's one way you can "stay close to Jesus" this week so His love can grow in you?
Love is poured in by the Spirit, not pumped up by willpower. So ask to be filled with the Spirit, and remember that character comes first.
Let's go deeper: Where have you been trying to be loving on your own strength? How would leaning on the Spirit change that?
💬 Conversation Starter
What kinds of things grow better slowly and quietly than by force? Maybe a plant, a friendship, or a skill. The Spirit's love in us grows that way too.
🛡️ Defending the Faith
How do we know the Holy Spirit is real and not just nice feelings? He makes changes no pep talk ever could. Real patience in a hot-tempered person. Real love for an enemy. Joy that lasts through suffering. Watch a life truly changed, and you're seeing the work of a Person, not just an emotion ().
For Dad · Go Deeper
Classic Pentecostal teaching holds that the Holy Spirit is given to empower ordinary believers. Yes, He empowers us for witness and for gifts. But first and foremost, He works to make us like Christ. anchors this. The Spirit's first work is to flood the heart with the Father's love. Don't let the gifts crowd out the fruit. As the saying goes, character is always more important than gifting. There's no room for hype or prosperity here. There's only Christlikeness and love. So here's the honest question for a dad. Am I asking the Spirit to fill me daily? Or am I trying to parent five children on my own willpower? You cannot pour out love you have not received. Ask the Father to fill you afresh tonight ().
Draws on: Robert Menzies, Pentecost; Sam Storms, Understanding Spiritual Gifts.
Let's Pray Together
"Father, pour Your love into our hearts by Your Holy Spirit. We can't love one another well on our own. So fill us up. Grow Your love in us. Make us more like Jesus every day. In Jesus' name, amen."
God's love is poured into me by His Spirit. I don't have to squeeze it up alone.