AYAC 2025
21st August 2025
3rd Evening Session
Topic: Exploring The Virtue of Love
Speaker: Pastor Faith Oyedepo
We will be looking at this subject that is captioned: “Exploring The Virtue of Love.”
We shall be looking at two scriptures. The first one is:
1 Corinthians 13:13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.
Matthew 5:14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid
May the Lord bless the reading of His Word in our hearts, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Good news to somebody under the sound of my voice today! I am glad to announce to someone here tonight as we begin: Excellence is your heritage in redemption!
What do I call it? Say it everybody, the loudest we can now: “It is your heritage!”
Excellence in every area of life, In your studies and your academics, excellence!
And in your finances, excellence! In your health, excellence! Excellence in your career!
Say that one night again, say “Excellence! It is your heritage in redemption!” If you are in Christ.
However, the gateway that you and I require to that life of excellence is the love of God. The love of God is the gateway to a life of excellence. What do I call it? The gateway!
Romans 8:28 among several others, makes that very clear. It says:
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
We *know*, not that we think, but we *know* God, how many things? How many things? The loudest you can: “How many things work together?” All things!
This year, after AYAC this year, all things shall begin to work together for your good.
It’s very important for us to understand that the only scriptural recipe for lasting and enduring excellence in life is the love of God. And please understand me very clearly: love for God is more than an emotion. When I said exploring the virtue of love, many of you said, “Ahhh.” But here we are talking about the love for God. It’s more than an emotion; it is more than feelings.
Love for God is a virtue. It is what? And it has to be developed. It is the foundation upon which all other virtues in the Kingdom are built. We just read it a while ago: faith, hope, and love, and the greatest is love. It is the foundation upon which all other virtues are built.
Yesterday, a father in the Lord told us about how deep the foundation of the Ark project is. If you remember yesterday, how deep did he call it? How many stories built? Why? Because of the height, because of the weight, because it’s an edifice. Foundation is everything.
Without the love of God, everything else loses meaning. AYAC 2025, you have been here for it, is built to last. Point to your neighbors and say, “You shall be built to last!”
But you know what? For that to become a reality, your foundation of the love of God must be deepened. My foundation for the love of God must be deepened.
Love for God is an active force and it shapes the lives of those who are committed. The love of God, the love of God, the love of God in God’s Word:
John 21:15-18 Three times in a row. How many times did Jesus say to Peter, “Lovest thou me more than these?
The same question goes to everyone at AYAC 2025. God is asking you and I right now: “Lovest thou thou me more than these?” Three times, three times in a row. And yes, these are the disciples that were following Him all the way, and yet He was asking.
Jesus is saying to somebody right now: “Lovest thou me more than the blessings? Than the testimonies? Than the breakthroughs?” Yes, they are all important, but “Lovest thou me more than these?”
He says, “When you are young, you decide where to go, but the time is coming you’ll be old and you’ll be taken or led to places.” Now as youths, this is the time for you and I to be decided on how deep our love for God will be.
“Lovest thou me more than these?”
May I announce to somebody here at AYAC this year: that lukewarm, half-hearted relationship with God will not do. It will not last the test of time. God wants you and I; He desires our total devotion. He desires an intimate love relationship with us, so that when the storms of life come, we shall be found standing.
Somebody will make it! If you are the one, let your Amen show it! I said somebody will make it. You will stand up. The winds of life will not be able to pull your destiny down. Can I have the loudest Amen?!
So what is a virtue? It’s a habitual and firm disposition to do what is right. To do what is right. It’s not a gift; a virtue is not a gift. It’s something you have to learn and acquire. And love is said to be the greatest of the commandments.
So, when you engage with the love of God, you become a commander of greatness. You shall be great! I said, you shall be great! Tell your neighbor, “You shall be great!” Tell someone the same thing on the other side, “You shall be great!” Now, convince yourself: “I shall be great!”
But you know what? For that to become a reality, we need a deep foundation of love for God.
You know, when we got by saying that excellence is your birthright and my birthright… Excellence simply means a high standard; setting a high standard. He has told us at separate times how that God said to him, “Go forth and raise me a people.” You are one of them! If you believe so, you know, so let your Amen show it.
However, if excellence must become a reality in your life, then the love of God must occupy the front burner, not the back one, in your life. May every participant this year leave whatever station you may be from, freshly baptized with the virtue of love.
Why should it be so?
What is in the love of God for me?
1. It Empowers Believers to Lead a Failure-Proof Life.
Say with me: a failure-proof life. From today, no more failure for you! Let me hear you loud, Amen! No more stagnation for you.
Every genuine lover of God is bound to succeed because love never fails. I decree, I declare over your life: you shall succeed in your academics. You shall succeed. If you have failed before, the last failure you had is the last you will ever have.
Remember one of the testifiers tonight: sat for JAMB the first time, the second time, the third time… Abba said, “No more failure.” From today, you will succeed. Let me have your loudest Amen!
The security of your destiny and my destiny is the love of God. The love of God is the strongest life insurance. It’s a work for us.
2. It Empowers Faith to Deliver Maximally.
Empowers faith.
Galatians 5:6 For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.
So faith is a strong spiritual vessel, but without love, it cannot produce. Love is what empowers our faith to produce results. From this season, your faith and my faith shall continue to produce greater results. Let me hear your loudest Amen!
And again, you don’t know my secret until you know my heartbeat for God. What is your heartbeat? Nobody may see it, but you know it. He said, the love of God. What brought you to AYAC this year? Is it love of God? Is it fame? Is it position? Is it so all they can see you? Is it to find a wife or find a husband? All those ones are meant to be additions. Your love for God must be the main focus.
Joseph, for the love of God, made him to become great in Egypt. Despite all that his brothers did to him, he forgave them. There is somebody here today; I don’t know who you need to forgive. Let go and let God. Unforgiveness brings bitterness and bitter destiny. They have not treated you well, yes. Let go. Let go. Let go. So he did it and he stood out. You will stand up.
3. Supernatural Breakthrough.
From AYAC this year, somebody shall be breaking through. If you are the person, let your Amen show it. You want to know that many are breakthroughs? Look at this commission. You don’t need to look too far. Look at this commission. Shout it louder: breakthrough!
Mandate delivered in 1981. Church started with four people. And God said to say three and a half because the first person wasn’t that… you understand? One leg in, one leg out. The first Sunday I was in church, we were about 17 people, adults and children. We didn’t have children’s church because we are all children of God. So you see it on one bench, not chair, not like this royal. You sit on one whole bench, you know, a bench? Some of you don’t know what benches look like again. Bench is long, no division. You understand what I’m saying. You sat on one bench. One person put your Bible on one end in front of you like this, and then your hand on the bench at the back of you. Three benches, one person.
But from four people to 17 to 20, I mean, look at what God has done today. And then to nations today. We have people here at AYAC this year from different nations of the world. Amen.
With God, the love of God. Here at the Faith Tabernacle, very shortly on our way to the… I saw you, we get… From today, we shall be breaking through. If you are the one that you are, Amen, showing.
Therefore, I decree and declare over your life: no more breakdowns. Over your health, no more breakdowns. Look at the testimonies we have harvested already: healing. If you are still believing God for healing in your physical body, I congratulate you because tonight is your night.
If you forget any other person’s testimony, remember my testimony: once in a wheelchair, needed help for virtually everything, including eating, including lying down to sleep, including standing up, including going to the restroom. But today: breakthrough! So don’t mind the devil. You are at AYAC this year; God who restored me will restore your health. Just let the love of God be burning in your heart. You are not permitted to return from AYAC with any sickness in your body. Let me hear your loudest Amen.
4. It Gives Access to Revelation.
God reveals things to His lovers. Are you His lover?
Psalm 25:14 The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant.
Those that fear Him, or those that love Him. As in the physical, you don’t hide anything from your lover; it is open. It is the same thing in the world of the spirit.
Job, a lover of God, had access to divine secrets. Job 29:4. David had more understanding than his teachers. And the whole book of Revelation was revealed to John the beloved. Access to revelation.
Jesus said to Peter, “Upon this rock I will build my church.” To some of us who remember what happened during COVID-19, remember how God used His servant to make us face strong, standing against the devices of the wicked. And today, to the glory of God, COVID has gone back to sender.
Whatever has been covering your destiny, upon this mountain it shall be sent back to where it came from.
What is Love?
Somebody may ask in our context right now. What is this love?
1. It is a God-First Lifestyle.
Say: “May God first!” Make it louder.
Mark 12:30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.
God first! A God-first lifestyle. Let’s make God and His Word your priority for living, your priority. Taking a stand for God, whatever you find yourself. Standing out, not blending in. Not because everybody else is doing it. Why not?
Remember one of the powerful presentations we saw tonight. For all the people that presented, God bless you all in Jesus’ name! Standing out, not blending in. Not that everybody else is doing it; you are not everybody else. You are a unique individual. Say to yourself: “I am unique!” Point to yourself this way, now say with confidence: “I am unique!”
Apostle Paul said in
Philippians 1:21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
Joseph said in
Genesis 39:9 There is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?
Remember, nobody else was there. It was only just him and the wife of his master. Joseph said, “How can I do this and sin against God?”
All that’s in your class, they are cheating in the examination hall and you are stretching your neck to look. “How can I do this and sin against God?” Don’t tell me nobody else will catch us. Man may not see you, but is God not there? “How can I do this and sin against God?”
Everybody else is doing it; it’s a corrupt system. So we kept blaming the system, whereas you and I are meant to change the system, not that the system should change us.
“How can I do this and sin against God?” Another Joseph is departing from AYAC this year that will stand against evil, whether the man is there or not. If you’re the one, let that your Amen show it!
Saying eternal yes to God, and eternal no to yourself. Somebody must depart from AYAC this year sailing under sealed orders, ready to say an eternal yes to God and eternal no to Satan.
You are in courtship and the only thing you are saying is, “I love you, I love you. I love you. I miss you.” What do you want to find? No time to pray? No time to read? No time to study. What’s up, man? Oh, that’s why, to the glory of God, after 43 years, it’s hitch-free. It’s hitch-free. To somebody here, your testimony shall be brighter. If you are the one, let your Amen show it.
2. A Kingdom Priority Lifestyle.
Kingdom, kingdom priority lifestyle. That is placing God’s kingdom above all else. The advancement of the kingdom of God is a central focus of your life. You are living constantly with a desire to be an addition to the kingdom of God, not just a consumer. “Give me, give me, give me, and give me.” But we are seeking to add to God’s kingdom. An addition to God’s kingdom.
This is very important. And of course, the proof of our love is obedience.
Acts 5:29 Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.
Whatever He says is what we are going to obey. The kingdom of God is a priority.
We’ve had our father in the Lord again concerning the movement to Canaan Land from town. He has told us over and again, they said, “I would rather sink with God than shine without Him.”
The kingdom of God, your priority, your priority. You cannot make God’s kingdom your priority and not be built to last. I pray for somebody under the sound of my voice today: you shall depart from AYAC 2025 where the kingdom of God and its advancement is a priority in your life forever.
3. Identify with Jesus Openly, Publicly, and Unashamedly.
Mark 8:38 Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.
“If you are ashamed of me,” He said, “I also will be ashamed of you.” May God not be ashamed of us. Identify with God openly. Public display of affection for God.
In order to do… Are you the kind of youth that when you are in church, among your brethren, in fellowship, you are known as a Christian? When you go to a place where you are not known, nobody can identify you as a believer? Do you hide your Bible in your office? You are in a public place, nobody can identify Jesus with you.
Public display of your love everywhere you go and everywhere you find yourself. On social media, what do you post there? Is it as a Christian? Do you pose to be somebody else, looking for recognition? Public display. Have you ever invited anyone to church in your school?
How many people know you as a Christian and I said, a child of God? You are at AYAC; you return to your station and your mates are asking you, “Where have you been? We have been looking for you.” “Oh, I just went somewhere.” You shall carry such a fire on your head that when you are there, there will be no way you are coming from… Yes, you know.
An unbeliever sees you and is toasting you and wants to marry you. Somebody, you, where is the fire? They should see you are a fire of another. This one, no way! Say it like I said, “No way!” Say, “God forbid!”
You are in a relationship with an unbeliever? What are you looking for? Forbidden!
No. There are certain things that should never be identified with you because of your public display for Jesus Christ. In case you are here today under the sound of my voice and you are in any kind of relationship with an unbeliever, don’t tell me, “Oh, he’ll be born again.” Oh, again, who told you? Stop it! Stop it so he doesn’t stop your destiny. Who told you you had the power to convert anybody? Have you ever seen light and darkness mix together before successfully?
Who is your best friend? An unbeliever? So much? You have to change your friends before you leave AYAC this year. Have you ever seen a bird in the sky and a fish in the ocean good friends? One will suffocate and die. That will not be you!
If evil communication corrupts good manners, your destiny that is glorious shall not be corrupted.
Therefore, I decree and declare over your life: from this AYAC 2025, the virtue of love is deeply rooted in your heart. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. And as you do, you shall experience excellence, supernatural breakthroughs, and a destiny built to last!
In the mighty name of Jesus, we have prayed! Amen!
Add a Comment