Times Square Church - Sermons

Episode: The Last Days Battle for Love
Speaker: Pastor (possibly Carter Conlon), with Pastor Tim Dilena
Date: January 11, 2026

Overview: The Episode’s Main Theme

This episode centers on the true battle of the "last days": the challenge of loving with the supernatural love of God in an age of offense, betrayal, and lawlessness. Drawing from personal medical experiences, biblical teaching (especially 1 Corinthians 13), and stories of practical forgiveness, the sermon urges listeners to let God’s love fill and flow through them, transcending human limitations—especially when surrounded by brokenness and hostility. The pastor distinguishes between natural and divine love, testifying to the power found in receiving and extending the "more excellent way" of love described in the New Testament.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Personal Story as a Lens for Love

• The pastor opens with gratitude for Pastor Tim’s visits during a post-surgery ICU stay.
• Rather than sharing scripture, Tim simply cried and kissed the pastor’s forehead, demonstrating love through presence instead of words.

"When he walked in the room, he didn't quote scripture, he just cried. And then he leaned over and kissed me on the forehead. Thank you...as I share today what the Lord's put on my heart for you." (00:19)

• This moment becomes a metaphor for the message: tangible, compassionate, non-performative love.

2. The Last Days’ Defining Spiritual Battle

• Many think the end-days battle will be about standing firm, miraculous faith, or spiritual gifts—but the pastor declares it’s truly about supernatural love.

"Realistically, I think this is going to be the battle that will win the day for the kingdom of God: when you and I allow the love of God that is supernatural to flow through us." (02:34)

• Referencing 1 Corinthians 12:31 – 13:13:

  • All spiritual gifts (wisdom, prophecy, tongues) are temporary; love alone endures into eternity.
  • Without love, even miraculous deeds amount to nothing.

• Emphasis on Matthew 24:10,12:

  • The world will be full of offense, betrayal, hatred, and lawlessness.
  • Love will grow cold everywhere except in hearts yielded to God.

3. Paul’s Example: Enduring All for Love

• The Apostle Paul withstood relentless suffering and injustice yet refused bitterness.
• Suffering does not justify a lack of love; rather, divine love enables endurance and compassion.

"Satan threw everything he had...to destroy the power of love in his life." (09:43)
"The devil tried to beat it out of him, change his mind." (10:11, Pastor Tim)

• Paul’s victories (deep revelations, enduring faith, bold witness) meant little compared to possessing and sharing God’s love.

4. The Limits of Human Love — and the Limitlessness of God’s

• Natural love has boundaries; it may fail under pressure, temptation, or repeated hurt.
• Divine love persists, forgives, remains kind under provocation, and empowers new hope after defeat.

"Our love, our natural love, does have limitations. It's sad to say. Our hate, it doesn't. But our love does." (07:04)

• The source and security of God’s love equips us to face both life’s trials and eventual judgment (“boldness in the day of judgment”—cf. 1 John 4:17).

5. Personal Testimonies: Love in Weakness

• Pastor recounts being physically helpless in the ICU, unable to minister in typical ways, yet discovering profound impact through simple conversations and attention.

"Can't get up, can't preach a sermon, can't take an offering, can't give an altar call...But I had a heart where God's love was flowing through me." (21:42)

• Surprised by deep interactions with everyone—from surgeons to cleaners, including moments of prayer, confession, reconciliation.

• Demonstrates that strength, influence, and accomplishment pale next to the presence of God’s love.

6. How to Experience and Share This “More Excellent Way”

• The "take-home" is not a call to try harder, but an invitation to let God love you—deeply, presently, unconditionally.

"Let God love you today. Let him embrace you as he once did the prodigal son." (24:05)

• Like the prodigal’s father, God runs to meet, embrace, and restore, regardless of shame or self-perceived disqualification.

• Entry to this love comes not by merit or religious achievement but by simple surrender—letting God’s embrace dismantle shame and fear.

• Only after knowing this love can we begin to extend it to the "unlovely" in our lives.

"Once you know the love of God, once you've experienced his embrace...you say, well, how do I do it? Don't resist. Don't put out your arm. Don't keep him at a distance. Don't say I'm not worthy. You never were worthy..." (26:12)

7. Illustrations: Real Encounters with Brokenness

• Shares moments with patients in the ICU—including counseling and rededications—where love, not theological argument, produced transformation.
• Emphasizes that when people are most broken, they rarely need a sermon—they need genuine love.

"At this point...I didn't need a sermon. Do you understand? ...I needed somebody to love me." (32:37)

• Even sinners felt comfortable with Jesus because they knew they were loved, not condemned, despite their lifestyles.

8. Practical Application & Call to Respond

• The message culminates in an invitation for listeners to:
  • Receive God’s love (whether for the first time or anew)
  • Allow God’s love to conquer shame, fear, and the scars of rejection or failure
  • Become conduits of this love to others, especially those viewed as unworthy
• Concludes with a prayer for salvation and fresh embrace, modeled after the pastor’s own conversion experience as a young police officer.

Memorable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• On the battle for love:

  "The battle that will win the day for the kingdom of God [is] when you and I allow the love of God...to flow through us." (02:34)

• On the temporary nature of gifts vs. love:

  "All these spiritual giftings that we aspire to will one day come to an end...except for love, which is eternal." (05:28)

• On suffering and endurance:

  "Satan threw everything he had...to destroy the power of love in his life." (09:43)

  "The devil tried to beat it out of him..." (10:11, Pastor Tim)

• On God’s embrace:

  "Let God love you today. Let him embrace you." (24:05)

• On pastoral friendship outlasting words:

  "You displayed that when you walked into the room I was in...you didn't say anything, you just cried and kissed my forehead. That was love." (32:37)

• On human unworthiness and divine grace:

  "You never were worthy. You weren't worthy when you were having your best day. You weren't worthy when you were praying six hours a day and reading your Bible for the other 18...You never have been worthy of his love." (26:12)

• On the prodigal’s testimony:

  "You got to know my dad. You've got to meet my father, the most loving man I've ever known in my life. See, I knew about works, but I didn’t understand about love." (34:06)

Important Segments & Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment/Topic | |-----------|-------------------------------------------------| | 00:00 | Story of ICU visit, defining love by action | | 02:34 | Spiritual battle in the last days is for love | | 05:28 | 1 Corinthians 13—gifts vs. love | | 07:04 | The limitations of natural love | | 09:43 | Paul’s experiences of opposition and suffering | | 12:21 | Trust in God amid suffering and disillusionment | | 17:44 | Story of open-heart surgery and facing mortality | | 21:43 | Loving others despite incapacity or status | | 23:07 | “Take-home”: Let God love you | | 24:05 | The embrace of God, prodigal son story | | 26:12 | Receiving God’s love not based on worthiness | | 32:37 | The ultimate need: love, not sermons | | 34:06 | Message of the prodigal—“You’ve got to know my father” | | 36:36+ | Worship response: “He loves us, oh how He loves us” | | 38:45 | Prayer for those wanting to receive God’s love | | 42:36 | Salvation prayer, personal conversion story |

Tone & Language

The episode is personal, vulnerable, candid, and encouraging; the tone is that of an elder mentor, urging listeners to real, unvarnished love over religious performance or theological knowledge. There is gentle humor when referencing health struggles (“I have warranty cards in my wallet”), and deep reverence, awe, and gratitude for God’s persistent grace.

Takeaways for Listeners

• The true mark of the end-days Church is not dazzling gifts or rigid endurance, but the overflow of God’s “more excellent way” of love.
• Letting God love you—especially in your shame, defeat, or incapacity—is the gateway to loving others as He intends.
• The battle is not simply against external evil but against the hardening of the heart; victory is found by remaining open to and channels of God’s love.
• The world will be won—or lost—not by argument, but by the visible, transformative embrace of Christ through His people.

Actionable Reflection

What will you take home from this message?

• Meditate on how God has loved you, especially in your weakness.
• Ask God to help you receive His love afresh and extend it to even the most difficult people in your life.
• Remember: You never were (nor will be) worthy of His love—but He gives it anyway. Share that love without qualification to others.

For personal follow-up, listen between [23:07–24:05] for the practical “take-home,” and [26:12–34:06] for the moving call to experience and extend real love, rooted in God’s embrace rather than religious performance.