LOVE IS THE PORTAL TO FAITH

Table of Contents

1. Introduction: Continuing the Message “The Greatest of These”
2. God Is Love: Understanding 1 John 4
3. The Difference Between Trying to Love and Receiving God’s Love
4. Loving Others as the Fruit of Knowing God
5. Lori’s Healing Testimony Through Understanding Righteousness
6. Love as Evidence of Spiritual Growth
7. Love Is the Portal to Faith
8. Closing Encouragement and Thanksgiving

Introduction: Continuing the Message “The Greatest of These

Pastor Leonard opens the teaching by explaining that this message is a continuation of the Sunday sermon titled “The Greatest of These.” He shares that early Sunday morning, while trying to rest, the Lord woke him up and led him into prayer. During that time, God gave him a fresh message centered on love.

He emphasizes the importance of listening to the original Sunday message because this discussion builds upon it. Pastor Leonard explains that he is always willing to set aside prepared notes in order to receive a fresh word from God. The focus of the message became the subject of love, which he describes as the greatest theme and one of the most powerful truths in the Christian life.

God Is Love: Understanding 1 John 4

Pastor Lori reads from 1 John chapter 4, verses 7 through 10. Boldly emphasizing the scripture, they focus on the truth that God Himself is love.
1 John 4:7-10- “Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and everyone that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”

Pastor Leonard explains that one phrase especially transformed his life: “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us.” He says this revelation changed everything for him because he had spent much of his Christian life trying to love God through effort, strength, willpower, and striving. He describes how the Holy Spirit spoke to him and instructed him to stop exhausting himself trying to love God through human effort.

Instead, the Lord encouraged him to focus on understanding how much God already loved him. This revelation became a turning point. Rather than striving harder, Pastor Leonard learned to receive God’s love. He explains that when believers understand God’s love, their love for God naturally flows back in response.

The pastors also recall singing the song based on 1 John 4:7-8 during their youth group years: “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God…”
They explain that the passage teaches that everyone who truly loves demonstrates evidence of knowing God because God Himself is love. Pastor Leonard explains that to know God is not merely intellectual knowledge, but an intimate understanding of how deeply God loves us.

The Difference Between Trying to Love and Receiving God’s Love

The pastors discuss the difference between striving to love and allowing love to flow naturally from receiving God’s love.

Pastor Leonard explains that many believers spend their lives trying harder through personal effort, determination, discipline, and religious performance. However, the Christian life was never designed to operate from striving.

Instead, believers are called to receive God's love. He explains that when a person understands how much God loves them, love naturally rebounds back toward God, toward other people, and even toward themselves. The pastors stress that loving others is not the root of spiritual maturity, but the fruit of knowing God loves us.

Pastor Leonard says believers can examine their own “fruit.” Just as rotten fruit reveals decay, a lack of love often reveals that a person has not yet fully received and understood God’s love for them. He explains that people who truly understand God’s love become more loving toward others because love naturally flows outward.

Loving Others as the Fruit of Knowing God

Pastor Leonard continues teaching that love is evidence of spiritual understanding. He explains that the fruit of truly knowing God’s love is the ability to love others genuinely. He tells Lori that he has personally witnessed miraculous changes in her life because she deeply understands how loved she is by God. He shares how her love for him, her children, grandchildren, and people in ministry demonstrates the fruit of someone who understands God’s love.

Pastor Leonard recalls being ordained and receiving a prophetic word that he needed to become more like Lori. He now understands why: because Lori walks in a deep awareness of God’s love. He explains that when believers know they are “amazingly loved by God,” they become capable of loving others the way God loves them. This becomes a powerful witness to the world.

Lori’s Healing Testimony Through Understanding Righteousness

Pastor Lori shares her personal testimony about healing. She explains that she spent years trying to obtain healing through religious effort. She tried memorizing scripture, reading extensively, fasting, praying, begging God, and doing everything she thought was necessary to receive healing. Then she encountered a life-changing revelation while reading scripture.
She quotes:
2 Corinthians 5:21 — “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”

As she read the words “the righteousness of God,” the Holy Spirit ministered deeply to her heart. She realized that she truly was the righteousness of God in Christ. That revelation overwhelmed her emotionally. She cried, worshiped, and praised God because she suddenly understood that God viewed her the same way He viewed Jesus.

She repeatedly declared: “You love me like Jesus.”
Pastor Lori explains that the more she realized how loved she was by God, the more transformation occurred within her. Her healing manifested as she received the truth of God’s love and righteousness rather than striving to earn it. This testimony became a practical example of how understanding God’s love releases freedom, healing, and transformation.

Love as Evidence of Spiritual Growth

Pastor Leonard returns to the main theme by explaining that love is the evidence of spiritual growth. He states that loving others is of utmost importance because it reveals whether someone truly understands how much they are loved by God.

He says: “Loving is the evidence of your knowing you are loved.”

The pastors explain that spiritual maturity is not measured merely by knowledge, performance, or religious activity, but by love. Pastor Leonard summarizes the truth this way: “To know God is to love.” He encourages listeners to love themselves, love others, and continually grow in the understanding of God’s love.

Pastor Lori adds that the love of God is beyond measurement and cannot fully be explained. She encourages everyone to revisit the original sermon, “The Greatest of These,” because the message of love is foundational to everything else in the Christian life.

Love Is the Portal to Faith

Pastor Leonard then shares the central revelation of the message.
He states: “To know and understand love is the portal to faith.” He explains the meaning of the word “portal” as a grand and imposing doorway or gateway. He teaches that understanding God’s love becomes the doorway into powerful faith.

According to Pastor Leonard, many believers desire mountain-moving faith, healing faith, relationship-restoring faith, and faith for financial provision. However, the pathway into that kind of faith is understanding and receiving God’s love. He also explains the meaning of the word “imposing,” describing it as something grand, dignified, and incredibly impressive in size and appearance. He teaches that if believers want great faith — impressive faith — they must first grow in understanding love. Love becomes the gateway into energized faith.

Pastor Leonard also repeats another statement he has taught many times: “Love realized is faith energized.” He explains that when believers fully realize and receive God’s love, faith becomes alive, active, and powerful.

Closing Encouragement and Thanksgiving

As the message concludes, Pastor Lori says that everyone in the world is searching for love. The pastors encourage listeners to “check their love meter.” They explain that believers can measure their awareness of God’s love by examining how much they genuinely love others.

Pastor Leonard teaches that when love is operating properly in a believer’s life, the “portal” of faith opens and faith is released more powerfully. The pastors close by thanking viewers for their support, prayers, letters, encouragement, and financial giving to the ministry. They express gratitude to those who partner financially and encourage others to prayerfully consider supporting the ministry as well.
They direct viewers to the ministry website for information about giving options and conclude by expressing their love and appreciation for everyone watching.

We hope this article has blessed you and strengthened your understanding of God’s amazing love. As Pastors Leonard and Lori Rola taught, love is not merely an emotion or human effort—it is the very nature of God and the foundation of victorious faith. May you continue growing in the revelation of how deeply loved you are by the Father. Please share this teaching with others so they too can discover that love is truly the portal to faith.