I’d like to take a moment and share an observation we see happen a lot in the Church. People often hear the command, “Pursue love” – love your neighbor, love one another, love your enemies, etc. and most of us respond the same way: take the biblical command and try to muster up enough willpower through disciplined effort to become more loving to people. But time and again we fail to succeed in fulfilling this command.
The problem? We cannot actually obey this command through willpower and disciplined effort.
At the (Re)Form Seminar this past summer, Eden Project’s Chuck Gschwend shared a paradigm shift that a lot of us need to hear: We’re loved into loving.
He said it plainly: “You have to receive love in order to have any kind of love to give.”
This isn’t just nice theology. It’s the order of priority Scripture gives us.
1 John 4:19 says “We love because he first loved us.” Ephesians says “forgive as you’ve been forgiven” and “love as you’ve been loved.”
You can’t become a loving person through willpower and effort. You become a loving person by being loved by God and allowing his love to transform you.
As Chuck shared with us: “We’re not changed by the mere fact that God loves you. That fact has been true since eternity past. You’re changed when you learn to vulnerably surrender to love and actually receive it.”
The paradigm shift is this: To pursue love – to become a loving person – you first have to arrange your life to receive love from God.
If you want to watch Chuck’s full talk (about 30 minutes), you can find it here: Full Video
Or if you want to watch all three sessions from the 2025 (Re)form Seminar, here’s the full playlist:
(Re)Form Seminar 2025 Video Playlist
The theory of how we’re changed really can be summarized in these words: We’re loved into loving.
So let God love you, and if you are struggling to do that, join us on a Journey Home Retreat, or visit one of our weekly chapters. We’re with you on the journey!
Stories of Transformation:
David Conrad has been a faithful Christian for over 40 years. He taught at a university for 25 years, serves as an elder at his church, and can teach Scripture with depth and precision.
But something was missing.
“I think I was really long on understanding and really short on knowing,” David says. For most of his life, he felt like he had to prove he deserved to be in God’s kingdom. His gifts existed “completely independent of any intimacy with God.”
After his time at Eden Project, David’s relationship with God transformed. He moved from trying to impress God to actually experiencing relationship with him.
Now when David preaches, instead of critiquing his performance, he pauses to experience God’s delight in him.
And as David puts it: “One of the greatest things I’ve observed is how much God is not embarrassed by how long it took me to get here.”
Take Your Next Step on the Journey with Us:
The Journey Home Retreat:
Most of us believe God loves us, but we don’t often feel his delight or experience his nearness. The Journey Home is a two-night retreat where you’ll discover what it means to move from knowing about God’s love to actually living in it. Through teaching, guided practices, and spiritual direction, you’ll take practical steps toward experiencing God as he really is—not angry or distant, but present and delighted with you.
Upcoming Retreat Dates:
- Jan 26–28, 2026 | La Palmilla Resort (TX) | Reg. closes Dec 26
$100 Discount: Availible Through October 31st, 2025. Use code SAVE100TX
$50 Discount: Availible Through November 30th, 2025. Use code SAVE50TX
- Mar 16-18, 2026| St. Francis Retreat Center (NC) | Reg. closes Feb 16
$100 Discount: Availible Through December 16th, 2025. Use code SAVE100NC
$50 Discount: Availible Through January 16th, 2026. Use code SAVE50NC
Partner With Us Monthly
Stories like David’s are only possible because of monthly partners.
Monthly giving is the most effective way to support Eden Project because it:
- Creates sustainable funding we can plan around
- Reduces the time we spend fundraising
- Allows us to focus on transformation instead of survival
If this mission has impacted you or someone you love, would you consider becoming a monthly donor?
Even $25 or $50/month makes a real difference.
