The single greatest recommendation for any church leader …

In my work with Scott Free Clinic, I’ve both counseled, personally, and professionally consulted for church leaders from all kinds of churches across the country and in several different countries. My counsel when consulting always focused on the specific local church, but if I had to give a single recommendation — just one — to any church leader anywhere, it would be this:

Above all and foremost, teach the people in your congregation to love Jesus.

Carrying out that one recommendation in your local church will have a dramatic effect on the lives of the people in your congregation and will also be a root cause for positive practical outcomes you want to see and experience among your local body of believers. That’s because teaching your church members to love Jesus fosters:

Spiritual foundation. Focusing on loving Jesus establishes the spiritual foundation for individuals, fostering a deep and meaningful relationship with God. It is loving God and others that Jesus said is the most important, and second most important commands, and doing that accomplishes what God specifically wants from and for us (Mt. 22:37-40).

Guiding principles. Love for Jesus encourages adherence to the teachings and principles found in the Bible, providing a moral and ethical framework for decision-making and behavior. Jesus said, “If you love me, obey my commandments,” (John 14:15) and that obedience is what you will see among the members of your local church who truly love Jesus.

Unity and fellowship. A shared love for Jesus promotes unity and fellowship within the congregation, creating a sense of family, encouragement, and support among members.

Transformational living. Emphasizing love for Jesus encourages personal transformation, inspiring individuals to live according to Christian values and positively impacting their daily lives. Additionally, it’s love for Jesus that motivates a follower to pour out their lives in service to Him and for His kingdom. The Apostle Paul noted that it was love that compelled his ministry (2 Cor. 5:14), and Christians today experience the same when they are compelled by love. When compelled by love: you don’t have to “twist arms” for volunteers to serve in the church, you don’t have to nag people to spend time with Jesus in the Word and prayer, you don’t have to plead for members to give to support the ministry of the church and to help others. When we are compelled by love, like Paul we are moved to pour out our lives for Jesus and others, following the example of our Lord who poured out His life for us.

Mission and purpose. Loving Jesus aligns individuals with the mission and purpose of Christ, motivating them to share the love and compassion they’ve received from God, and to proclaim the Good News of Jesus in their communities.

Eternal perspective. Focusing on love for Jesus directs attention towards eternal perspectives, helping individuals prioritize spiritual maturing and the pursuit of heavenly goals.

Emotional and mental well-being. The love for Jesus provides comfort, hope, and peace, contributing to emotional and mental well-being during life’s challenges.

If you really want to make a difference in the lives of your church members, and want your church members to make a difference in there individual spheres of influence, then teach them to love Jesus. Without it, as Paul wrote, you can have everything else and still have and be nothing:

“If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing,” 1 Corinthians 13:1-3.

As a church leader, there’s nothing you do that is more important, or more beneficial, than teaching your congregation to love Jesus. And as an individual Christian, there’s nothing more important, or more beneficial, you can do than to learn to love Jesus.

Scotty