The top 10 Bible verses at the heart of Listen Pray Care

I thought you might want to have this elite list of verses if you are a fan of the “love one another” theme in the Bible.

Maybe you can even work on memorizing some of them.

Committing verses to memory is strong in my background. We had to memorize Bible verses for our discipleship instruction that we called “catechetics.” It did make a difference years down the road. Some of those verses stuck and I am able to recall them in times of need. It is like little mental treasures stored in the recesses of my mind and heart. Try it!

So let’s get to the Top 10!

The Listen Pray Care Project is based in God’s Word. We use scripture quotes in our materials and instructions. Going all the way back to Casey Kasem and the American Top 40 Countdown, I learned to love countdowns. So I put together the Top 10 Bible verses in a countdown format as they relate to the powerful message of love one another. 

10. Matthew 22:36-40. The ancient Bible verse from Leviticus that talks about love for one another is also what Jesus called the Second Greatest Commandment, and is written about in this passage. I love using this passage while teaching LPC concepts because it is easy to teach and easy to understand. It’s also great for teaching children!

9. 1 John 4:17. In this verse, John (known for his emphasis on love in his writings) makes the connection between love and being just like Jesus. 

8. 1 Peter 1:22. Peter was one of the disciples closest to Jesus. Not only are we told this through his writing, but it is so clearly visible through his actions and words. He was there with Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, in the courtyard of Jesus’ trial and at the cross and empty tomb. In this verse, Peter accents the sincerity and depth of love.  

7. 1 John 3:16-18. This is one of my personal favorites. Here, John draws a picture for us of the actions of love. 

6. Hebrews 10:24-25a. As a pastor, I like verses like this, because they challenge me. The writer of Hebrews makes a strong connection between love for one another and worship. The author describes the worship service as an opportunity for love and encouragement of one another. 

5. Ephesians 4:16. Paul is second only to John in writing about the centrality of love in the church. Here, Paul not only points out the centrality of love in the Body of Christ, but also makes the point that everyone should be fully engaged. This idea is central to Listen Pray Care. As seen in our mission statement, everyone engaging in love for one another at every gathering is a number-one priority.

4. 1 John 4:7-8. This is one of my favorites from childhood. I learned it while singing songs around a campfire at church camp. I especially like the King James version of these verses which is the way I learned them! “Love comes from God.” Check out our whiteboard explanation that emphasizes how this ties into LPC as well!

3. Ephesians 4:32-5:2. These verses are central to everything that the Listen Pray Care Project is about. I have used them for writing these materials and preaching sermons on Sundays. They are definitely worth memorizing even though there are a lot of words. Paul connects God’s forgiveness and love for us in Christ, to our walk of love.

2. 1 John 3:23. Then comes the verse that connects our love for each other to our following Jesus. Incidentally, John wrote a stunning five verses that are included in this countdown list! 

1. John 13:34-35. This is number one for a reason! We read the words of Jesus Himself, who gave us a new command on the night before his crucifixion. He had just completed washing his disciple’s feet as a dramatic portrayal of his humility and love for his disciples, and Jesus tells us his vision for his disciples.

Reading through these verses as a collective is an amazing example of how the theme of love one another, and love in general, is seen throughout the Bible.  

My book explains even more about Jesus’ most important message, and how we have created a movement through The LPC Project to see loving one another in direct and visible ways in our churches, at every gathering! 

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God bless you as you share His love in Christ with your loved ones and with the world.