Podcast Summary: Christ With Coffee On Ice

Episode: Signs of True Love
Host: Ally Yost
Date: August 8, 2025

Main Theme

In this heartfelt episode, host Ally Yost explores the profound and often misunderstood concept of true love, examining its biblical roots, real-life implications, and the difference between godly and worldly definitions. Through personal vulnerability, scriptural deep-dives, and practical wisdom, Ally encourages listeners to reflect inwardly and challenge their notions of love, urging them to walk more closely with Christ in their relationships and daily actions.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. What Is True Love? (02:55)

• Opening Reflection: Ally admits the word "love" is used frequently and casually in our culture, yet wonders what "real love, true love, biblical love" actually look like.
• Personal Vulnerability: She acknowledges, “We do kind of throw the word around a lot. ... I say I love you guys, and I do. I have love for you. But technically I've never met you.” (04:55)

2. Biblical Definition of Love (1 Corinthians 13) — [09:32]

• Ally reads and analyzes 1 Corinthians 13:4-7, emphasizing the characteristics of biblical love:
  • “Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. ... Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful and endures through every circumstance.”
• Agape Love: She unpacks the concept of agape as “selfless, sacrificial and unconditional ... not just a feeling, but a conscious choice to prioritize the well-being of others, even when it's difficult or undeserved.” (12:25)
• Quote: “Love is not just a feeling, but it is a conscious choice to prioritize the well being of others, even when it's difficult or undeserved.” — Ally (12:47)

3. Selflessness & Sacrifice (16:40)

• Defining Selflessness: “Selflessness is defined concern more with the needs and wishes of others, others than one's own.”
• Defining Sacrifice: “To give up something that is valuable to you in order to help another person.”
• Ally illustrates how true love requires giving up personal desires and comforts, even one’s own time, for the sake of another.
• Memorable Moment: Ally confesses how she struggled to sacrifice her time pre-faith:

  “I don't think I was as willing to sacrifice my time for people before I knew Jesus... I would make plans and then the minute it inconvenienced me or I was tired ... I would be like, no, I don't want to do that anymore.” — Ally (19:02)

• She emphasizes conviction and growth happen as we walk with Jesus, who models perfect sacrificial love.

4. Unconditional Nature of Love (22:30)

• Definition: Unconditional love “is not based on merit or deservingness. It's a choice to love regardless of the other person's actions or flaws.”
• Jesus as the Example: “The definition of love is Jesus. ... His love for us is actually so unconditional regardless of our flaws or our actions.” (23:44)
• Loving others despite hurt or disagreement mirrors how Christ loves us.

5. The Power of Action over Words (28:20)

• The Importance of Deeds: Ally discusses the immense power of words (citing Proverbs), but highlights that true love is demonstrated by action:

  “If you're saying a lot and not following it up with action, that isn't real love. Action is so important when it comes to demonstrating true love to other people.” (29:44)

• The Example of Jesus: She illustrates that Jesus’ ultimate demonstration of love was in His actions on the Cross, not just His words:

  “It was the action of what he did that was love.” (34:11)

6. Origin and Types of Love (36:00)

• Love’s Source: “The Bible tells us that love originates in God. ... One who does not love does not know God because God is love.” (1 John 4:8 — 41:30)
• Ally contrasts human, animal, and divine love, highlighting humanity’s unique ability (as God’s image-bearers) to love sacrificially.
• Notable Quote: “We too are reflectors of God's love. ... We must first be willing to receive the love that God has for us in Christ. Once we receive it, we have the opportunity and command to love others.” (44:20)
• Initiating Love: True, godly love “initiates” — steps up even when no one else does.

7. Counterfeit/Worldly Love vs. Godly Love (46:45)

• Worldly Love: Ally describes this as based on feelings, self-centeredness, and conditional acceptance—focused on what one gets rather than gives.
  • “Worldly love is often described as self centered, where love is given based on how it benefits the individual or fulfills their desires.” (48:48)
• Godly vs. Worldly Love Chart:
  • Godly love = action, about others, unconditional, giving, serving, works through conflict, forgiving, transparency, trust, responsibility, peace.
  • Worldly love = feeling, all about me, conditional, getting, receiving, withers in conflict, bitter, hiding, suspicion, blame, anxiety.
• Critical Reflection:

  “The depth of God's love will reveal how shallow the love of the world really is ... what you thought you were operating in such places of depth is actually not deep at all.” (49:30–50:45)

• Cultural Critique: She challenges the phrase “love is love,” underscoring that true love must have an origin, which is God (1 John 4:7–8).

8. The Greatest Commandment (Matthew 22:37; 57:08)

• Scripture Read: “You must love the Lord your God with all of your heart, all of your soul, and all of your mind ... Love your neighbor as yourself.”
• Ally encourages listeners to consider: Are we loving God with all that we are? Are we loving others as ourselves?

9. The Ultimate Question: Did You Love? (1:03:20)

• Reflection:

  “I believe the most important question that Jesus is going to ask us when we meet him face to face is he's going to say, did you love, like, real love, not the counterfeit love ... did you love well and were your intentions pure?” (1:03:40)

• Heart posture is crucial; true love springs from selflessness, not for show or personal gain.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On True Love's Challenge:
  “Love is a choice. And it's a fight sometimes, you know, it's a fight to continue to love other people and to choose to love them regardless of their flaws and their imperfections.” — Ally (24:19)
• On Walking with Jesus:
  “When you are walking with someone who demonstrates love so perfectly, who is Jesus ... it's going to convict your spirit.” (20:35)
• On Offensive Love:
  “Let’s love like Jesus. So much love. Like, a love that's so radical and, like, offensive. The thing is, like, Jesus's love is so offensive. It doesn't make sense.” (1:08:05)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Defining the Episode Purpose: 02:00
• 1 Corinthians 13, What Is Love: 09:32
• Agape, Selflessness & Sacrifice: 12:25–18:00
• Personal Example of Sacrifice: 19:02
• Unconditional Love Explained: 22:30–24:30
• Actions vs. Words in Love: 28:20–34:30
• Origin, Types of Love, God’s Nature: 36:00–44:20
• Worldly vs. Godly Love Chart: 49:00
• Challenging Cultural Notions of Love: 52:00
• The Greatest Commandment: 57:08
• Ultimate Question on Loving Well: 1:03:20
• Call to Radical, ‘Offensive’ Love: 1:08:05

Final Encouragement & Call to Action

• Ally urges listeners to not only know about love but to actively love like Christ:

  “Let’s love like Jesus. ... Let’s just love, like, really hard. ... That is our job. Like, that's our mission here on Earth, is to love people well, to love them unconditionally.”

• She encourages practical steps: “Let’s walk more like him. Let’s talk more like him. Let’s love like him.” (1:07:30)
• A challenge: Make your love radical—"offensive" in its selflessness and radical generosity, just as Jesus modeled.

Takeaways

• The world’s version of love is shallow and self-serving, but biblical love is deep, sacrificial, and unconditional.
• True love requires action, not just words—mirroring the sacrificial love of Christ.
• Selfless, active love is a daily choice that challenges our default settings and requires Holy Spirit-empowered transformation.
• At the end of it all, our legacy in God’s eyes is measured by how well—and how truly—we loved.

Listen to the full episode for deeper insights and personal stories from Ally, but if all you remember is one thing, let it be this:

“Did you love, like, real love?” (1:03:40)