Does God Still Love Me?

You Are the One Jesus Loves

Scripture References

Primary text

• John 3:16
• Luke 15

Other references

• 1 John 4
• Romans 5:8
• Matthew 5

Overview

Easter celebrates an empty tomb and a living Savior, but Pastor Craig narrowed the focus to one stunning promise: God’s love is not only global, it is personal. “You are the one Jesus loves.” Tracing that promise from John 3:16 through the lost-sheep parable, the transformation of the disciple John, and the cross itself, he urged every listener to trade doubt, shame, and distance for the security of being Christ’s beloved. The resurrection becomes your story when you believe that promise and surrender fully to Jesus.

Context

• Holiday crowd energy—many dressed up to honor Easter, others attending only out of obligation, some dragged along by family.
• Pastor asked each person to answer, “Why did you come to church today? What do you need God to do?” He highlighted hidden pain beneath polished appearances.

Main Points

1. A universal verse with a personal promise

• John 3:16 is often quoted for “the world,” yet many doubt God could love them individually.
• St. Augustine’s line captures the truth: God “loves each of us as if there were only one of us.”
• The Easter invitation is to internalize that love:

  I am the one Jesus loves.

2. Jesus pursues the one (Luke 15)

• Parable: A shepherd leaves ninety-nine to search until he finds the single lost sheep.
• Heaven throws a party over one person who repents—proof that God’s heart is laser-focused on individuals.

3. The hot-tempered disciple who renamed himself

• James and John were nicknamed “sons of thunder” (brash, fiery, ready to call down heavenly fire).
• Continuous exposure to Jesus’ love reshaped John’s identity; three times in his Gospel he calls himself “the disciple whom Jesus loved.”
  • Illustration: Pastor pictured Thor on a Harley to convey John’s pre-Jesus reputation.
• If thunderous John could embrace a new name, so can we.

4. Love proven, not merely proclaimed

• 1 John 4: love is God’s essence; He showed it by sending His Son.
• Romans 5:8: Christ died “while we were still sinners.”
• Pastor detailed the crucifixion—betrayal, beating, spikes, suffocation—to underline the cost of that love.
• Resurrection vindicates the promise; the stone rolled away so you can stand forgiven.

5. Pastor Craig’s own “one” moment

• Story: As a college student who lied, stole a $6 pair of shorts for his mom, and battled drunkenness, he once lay on a fraternity-house floor with his pet rabbit. A Christian radio DJ suddenly said, “God still loves you,” and that single line pierced his shame—proof that God targets “the one.”

Key Truths

• God’s love is personal; He knows and seeks you specifically.
• Being loved by Jesus redefines your identity more than your past or your failures.
• The Good Shepherd never stops searching until He finds the lost.
• The cross is God’s tangible demonstration that nothing—sin, shame, or distance—can keep Him from you.
• Easter’s empty tomb guarantees that anyone who believes has eternal life.

Response

• Admit where you feel unlovable or distant and replace those lies with the confession, “I am the one Jesus loves.”
• Turn from self-reliance and receive the finished work of Christ; call on His name for forgiveness and new life.
• Share this personal love with friends or family who feel unseen—be part of God’s search party.
• Celebrate publicly through baptism, marking the burial of the old you and resurrection to new life.

Closing

Pastor Craig closed by inviting anyone uncertain of their standing with God to surrender. Hands rose across campuses and online as people prayed for salvation. The church erupted in celebration because, as Jesus said, there is “more joy in heaven” over one who turns back.

“You are the one Jesus loves.”

Whoever finds God finds life.