Teaching summary
Pastors Leonard and Lori Rola teach that God’s marvelous love is freely given and does not have to be earned through religious works. Because Christ has completely reconciled believers to God, they can see themselves as God sees them: holy, blameless, loved, and without fault in His sight. Believers are encouraged to stand firmly in this truth and refuse to drift into guilt, shame, condemnation, or legalism. As people increasingly understand God’s limitless love, that love empowers them, frees them, and flows through them to bless and minister to others.
Bible verses referenced
Colossians 1:21-23- “And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight. If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister.”
John 17:23- “I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.”
Galatians 2:20- “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”
Ephesians 3:16-20- “That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. Now unto him that can do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.”
Teaching notes
Table of Contents
- Enjoying God’s Goodness and Blessings
- Love Gives Freely
- Legalism Makes People Feel Unworthy
- Seeing Ourselves as God Sees Us
- Loved by the Father as Jesus Is Loved
- God’s Love and Righteousness as Sources of Power
- Holy, Blameless, and Without Fault
- Stay in the Lane of God’s Love
- The Unlimited Riches of God’s Glory
- Rooted and Grounded in Love
- Discovering the Astonishing Dimensions of Christ’s Love
- Filled with the Fullness of God
- God Can Exceed Our Greatest Requests and Dreams
- God’s Love Frees and Empowers Us
- Sharing God’s Love at a Local Restaurant
- Reflecting God’s Love to a Waiting World
- Constantly Energized by God’s Miraculous Power
- Closing Encouragement and Ministry Support
Enjoying God’s Goodness and Blessings
Pastor Leonard Rola opens the teaching by greeting everyone alongside his wife, Pastor Lori Rola. They are still staying at a beach condominium in Murrells Inlet, South Carolina. Leonard thanks Michael and Susan De Mayo for extending this beautiful opportunity to them.
Leonard explains that they are falling in love with Murrells Inlet and have been enjoying a special time with their daughter Allison, their son-in-law Zayn, and their grandchildren, Wilder and Sa. He repeatedly declares that God is good and expresses his gratitude for everything God has done and continues to do for them, including the blessing they received through the De Mayo family.
Pastor Lori echoes Leonard’s gratitude. She says that they are sitting there soaking up God’s blessings and that it feels good. Leonard emphasizes that God does not love only them. God also loves every person listening to the teaching just as much, and He has many blessings for them.
Love Gives Freely
Leonard explains that the reason they are enjoying the condominium is love. Michael and Susan are believers who are filled with God’s love. One of the things God’s love does is give. Because of love, Michael and Susan allowed Leonard and Lori to use their beautiful condominium for as many as ten days, although they expected to remain for approximately one week. Their generosity provided a practical example of how God’s love operates through people.
Leonard then turns the conversation toward receiving gifts. Sometimes someone wants to give a person something, but the intended recipient does not believe he or she is worthy of it. A person may wonder why anyone would do something so generous for them. They may think they are unlovable, unlikable, or undeserving.
The pastors explain that these thoughts can prevent people from comfortably receiving what love freely gives.
Legalism Makes People Feel Unworthy
Leonard and Lori identify mixture and legalism as sources of the belief that people are unworthy of receiving good things. Legalism teaches that people need to do more, must do more, and have to do more before they can be pleasing to God.
This teaching creates the impression that a work must first be completed before God will be pleased with someone. People consequently believe that God’s acceptance, pleasure, and blessings depend on their performance.
Lori agrees that people can begin to think they must accomplish all these things before God will be pleased with them. Leonard plainly declares that this is not true. God’s love and acceptance are not rewards earned through a sufficient amount of religious effort.
Seeing Ourselves as God Sees Us
Leonard refers to a previous teaching based on Colossians 1:21-23. He encourages the audience to listen to that earlier message, as well as the previous Sunday’s teaching, to understand what God truly believes about them.
Colossians 1:21-23- “And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight. If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister.”
God sees believers as blameless, innocent, holy, and without fault. He believes these things about them because He made them that way. Through Christ, God completely reconciled believers to Himself, and He did so because of His great love.
Leonard and Lori invite the audience to imagine what life would be like if believers genuinely saw themselves the way God sees them. They pause over the wonder of that possibility. God views His children through the lens of His declaration, “I love you.”
God has always loved them. Understanding this love is a continuing journey. Leonard is not certain that anyone will comprehend its complete fullness during earthly life, although he believes believers will understand it when they see Jesus face-to-face.
Loved by the Father as Jesus Is Loved
Leonard recalls the wonderful prayer of Jesus that believers would know that the Father loves them even as He loves Jesus.
John 17:23- “I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.”
Leonard knows that the Father loves him, and Lori knows that the Father loves her. Nevertheless, they acknowledge that growing into a deeper understanding of this truth is a continuing process. The revelation of God’s love increases more and more each day.
God does not merely tolerate believers or love them less than He loves His Son. Jesus prayed that the world would know that the Father has loved believers as He has loved Jesus. This truth challenges the deeply rooted feelings of inadequacy and unworthiness that many people carry.
God’s Love and Righteousness as Sources of Power
Leonard describes God’s love as amazing and as a great source of power. This truth led him to write a book about the two greatest sources of power in the life of a believer: God’s love and the believer’s righteousness.
He encourages listeners to order the book through Amazon. He describes it as an easy, quick read that is power-packed with Scripture. Its purpose is to convince believers that they are loved and righteous.
When believers become convinced of these truths, Leonard says they will become unstoppable and unmovable. They will increasingly live in the rich blessings God intends for them and gain greater insight into how deeply He loves them.
Holy, Blameless, and Without Fault
Pastor Lori returns to Colossians 1:21-23, the passage discussed during their Tuesday teaching.
Colossians 1:21-23- “And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight. If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister.”
Lori focuses on the result of Christ’s reconciling work. Believers have been brought into God’s presence and now stand before Him as holy, blameless, and without a single fault. She emphasizes the instruction to continue believing this truth, stand firmly in it, and refuse to drift away from the assurance received through the gospel. Leonard joins her in repeatedly urging the audience, “Don’t drift away” and “Stand firm.”
Lori describes how the Holy Spirit has been giving her continual revelations of how loved she is. She acknowledges that she had not loved herself very much. She had regularly felt that she was not measuring up or that she was doing something wrong. She carried many issues connected to receiving and understanding love. The thought that God loves her as much as He loves Jesus initially seemed difficult for her to accept. Nevertheless, God has been personally showing her that this is true.
John 17:23- “I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.”
In effect, God has been assuring her, “Yes, Lori, I do love you that much.” This increasing revelation of His love is helping her believe what God says about her.
Stay in the Lane of God’s Love
When Lori says believers must not drift away, Leonard thinks of traveling by car on a two-lane highway. He develops this picture as an illustration of standing firmly in the truth of God’s love. A person driving in the proper lane can travel safely from point A to point B. Leonard compares the correct lane to the truth that God loves believers and has made them holy, blameless, pure, and without fault. When believers remain in that lane and stand firmly in this belief, they can continue toward their destination.
The destination may represent moving from a need for healing to experiencing healing. It may represent the manifestation of provision or a miracle. Remaining established in God’s love allows the believer to continue traveling toward that destination. The danger comes when guilt, shame, and condemnation enter. Religious teaching says, “You need to,” “You must,” and “You have to.” Legalism and law then place heavy guilt, shame, and condemnation upon people.
Leonard compares this to a car drifting into the opposite lane of a two-way highway. Once the car crosses into the wrong lane, it can be struck head-on and prevented from reaching its destination. Believers must therefore remain in the lane of God’s love. They should concentrate on the truth that God has made them holy and blameless and that they can stand before Him without fault.
Colossians 1:21-23- “And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight. If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister.”
Leonard again urges the audience to stand firmly in this truth, refuse to drift from it, and understand how deeply God loves them. He describes this revelation of love as the greatest source of power in the life of a believer.
The Unlimited Riches of God’s Glory
Pastor Lori begins discussing Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 3.
Ephesians 3:16-20- “That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. Now unto him that can do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.”
Lori emphasizes the unlimited riches of God’s glory, manifested presence, and favor. She repeats the word “unlimited” because she wants the audience to think seriously about what it means for God’s riches and favor to have no limit. This prayer speaks of supernatural strength flooding the believer’s innermost being through God’s divine might and power. Lori sees this as a tremendous expression of favor and love.
Rooted and Grounded in Love
Lori continues explaining that believers live by faith and possess the faith of the Son of God within them.
Galatians 2:20- “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”
Jesus’ life has been deposited deeply within the believer. All that Jesus is and all that He has are present in the believer. His power is within them. Lori then focuses on love as the resting place, root, and source of the believer’s life.
Ephesians 3:16-20- “That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. Now unto him that can do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.”
God’s love is not a minor or secondary part of the Christian life. It is the foundation in which believers are rooted and grounded. It is their resting place and the source from which their lives grow.
Discovering the Astonishing Dimensions of Christ’s Love
Lori explains that the Holy Spirit empowers believers to discover Christ’s love.
Ephesians 3:16-20- “That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. Now unto him that can do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.”
She draws attention to the great magnitude of the astonishing love of Christ in all its dimensions. His love is deeply intimate and far-reaching. When people experience pain, they may think nobody knows how they feel or understands what they are suffering. God’s love, however, reaches deeply into those personal and painful places. His love is so far-reaching that no one can escape it.
Christ’s love is also enduring and inclusive. It is endless and beyond measurement. Lori invites the audience to allow their minds to consider an endless love that cannot be measured. This love transcends human understanding. It is greater than what the natural mind can completely comprehend.
Filled with the Fullness of God
Lori continues with the prayer’s description of God’s extravagant love flowing within and through the believer.
Ephesians 3:16-20- “That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. Now unto him that can do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.”
God’s love is already present within the believer. As this love flows, the believer experiences the overflowing fullness of God. Lori repeats the idea of overflowing because this fullness is not meant to remain hidden or contained. It comes out of the believer. The more Lori yields to the Holy Spirit, reads this prayer, and thinks about its meaning, the more revelations she receives. She repeatedly responds with amazement at what God is showing her.
This growing understanding of God’s love enables her to believe that she is holy and blameless. Her confidence in what God says about her grows as she increasingly understands how much He loves her.
God Can Exceed Our Greatest Requests and Dreams
Lori concludes her discussion of the Ephesians prayer by emphasizing that believers should never doubt God’s mighty power working within them.
Ephesians 3:16-20- “That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. Now unto him that can do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.”
God can accomplish more than a person’s greatest request, most unbelievable dream, or wildest imagination. His ability is not limited to what people can presently see, request, or imagine. This exceeding work happens according to God’s power operating within the believer. Therefore, believers should not doubt His power to bring His purposes to pass.
God’s Love Frees and Empowers Us
Leonard explains that knowing God’s love does something powerful within a person. It emboldens, empowers, and frees the believer.
The revelation of God’s love removes guilt, shame, and condemnation. It also causes believers to trust God for the great inheritance He has given them, a subject Leonard and Lori discussed in their previous teaching. Love does not end with the person who receives it. When believers understand God’s love, that love begins to flow through them toward others.
Sharing God’s Love at a Local Restaurant
Leonard shares a testimony from a recent visit to a local restaurant. The restaurant was phenomenal, and Leonard believes Lori and their daughter probably thought, “Here he goes again,” because he will talk to almost anyone. He is often simply looking for an opening to begin a conversation.
There was a table occupied by eight people. Leonard walked over and started talking with them. They responded, and the conversation became filled with laughter. Half of the group had originally come from New York, although all eight now lived in the local area. Two had come from Virginia, and two were from the state of Washington. One man eventually stood up and began speaking privately with Leonard. During their one-on-one conversation, the man revealed that he had cancer. Leonard silently wondered why the Lord had led him to that particular table. He then asked the man whether he could pray for him. The man answered, “Yes, please.”
Leonard placed his hand on the man’s shoulder and prayed for him. Leonard declared that he believed the man was healed. Afterward, the man hugged him. The moment of ministry expanded beyond that one person. Leonard began praying for the entire table. He raised his hands and praised God. The restaurant moment began to feel like a church service.
Leonard spoke blessings over the members of the group, including continued years of blessing in their health and finances. The people appeared to begin raising their hands with him. Leonard did not know whether they were already Christians, but he joyfully remarked that they became Christians.
The people began hugging him, and a friendship formed. Leonard and his family had heard about beautiful local gardens that everyone said they should visit. They were already planning to go when the members of the restaurant group began reaching into their pockets and giving them passes. As a result, Leonard’s family received free passes to visit the gardens. The entire encounter began with God’s love and with Leonard allowing that love to be reflected from him toward other people.
Reflecting God’s Love to a Waiting World
Leonard says that other people are waiting. They need believers, and they need the gospel of the kingdom and the gospel of love. They need the good news of the God who rescues, redeems, saves, forgives, and heals. Believers who understand how deeply God loves them can carry this message to hurting people.
The restaurant encounter demonstrated how God’s love can open conversations, create connections, bring prayer into an ordinary setting, and give people an opportunity to receive ministry. Leonard thanks God for giving him that opportunity. God’s love first flows into believers and then reflects from them to others. The world is waiting for people who are secure enough in God’s love to share it freely.
Constantly Energized by God’s Miraculous Power
In closing, Lori returns one final time to the prayer from Ephesians 3.
Ephesians 3:16-20- “That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. Now unto him that can do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.”
She declares that God will outdo everything because His miraculous power constantly energizes the believer. She encourages everyone to go out and spread the good news. Leonard asks whether this constant divine energy explains how Lori accomplishes everything she does. Lori agrees and playfully calls herself the “Energizer Bunny.”
Closing Encouragement and Ministry Support
Leonard and Lori tell the audience that they love them and expect to see them again in a few days. They thank their supporters for everything they do.
They describe their supporters as God’s hand extended. The ministry depends upon people’s gifts and offerings to continue its work. Their website is displayed for viewers, and it includes a giving section explaining the different and convenient ways people can contribute.
They thank in advance everyone who is prayerfully considering blessing the ministry with gifts and offerings. They close once again by expressing their love and promising to return in a few days.
We hope this article blessed you and helped you more deeply understand the marvelous, limitless love God has for you. Share this teaching with others so they may know that, through Christ, they are loved, reconciled, holy, blameless, and welcomed into God’s presence without fault.