Dear Friends,

As we are set to begin another Victory Weekend season just two days after Valentine’s Day, I cannot help but take time to pause and think about how love affects this ministry. Our staff diligently works to schedule events, ensure that the finances are available, send thousands of emails, meet and discuss ways to make every event special, set up and tear down the stage, drive hundreds of miles, and fulfill numerous other responsibilities for every event. We do this because we feel that the Lord has commissioned us, and because of a deep-rooted love for the people who attend our events.

As most of you know, a staple of the Victory Weekend ministry is honoring our veterans, active military personnel, and first responders. Offering these heroes a message of hope and recognizing them for their selfless acts of heroism seems to be the very least that we can do. I often wonder, however, are these men and women really teaching us about how love should impact our lives? John 15:12-13 tells us, “This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” In my mind, when I imagine this example of love, I see the soldier on the battlefield risking his or her life to save a wounded comrade. I see the police officer who springs into action to protect and serve in the midst of chaos. I see the firefighter who decides to go into the blaze in the hopes of rescuing just one more person. I also see the wounded warrior who returns home to volunteer with helping others who return from war with irreversible wounds and scars. This is how I want to love. I want to love with a reckless abandon.

I want to love others as God loves me!

Blessings,

Steve