Scriptures: John 3:16, 5:24, 6:47, 1 John 14:6, 4:9-10, 5:13, Psalm 89:2

Ever dreamed of winning a lottery jackpot? Of having that group of "magic numbers" that matches perfectly and declares "you are a winner"? In this message, Dr. Merritt talks about a very special number, more valuable than any lottery numbers could ever be. Behind this number is something that is so valuable that money can’t buy it, robbers can’t steal it, the government can’t tax it and death can’t take it away. You could call it the grand prize of Easter. The number is 316. It is the number of the greatest, most famous, best known verse in all of the Bible. It belongs to a verse in the Gospel of John.

"God loves the world. That means His love is not just a national love. He loves the Gentiles just as much as He loves the Jew. It is not a political love. He loves the Democrat just as much as He loves the Republican. It is not a racial love. He loves the black just as He as the white. It is not a financial love. He loves the poor just as He loves the rich. It is not a physical love. He loves the deformed just as He loves the beautiful. It is not an intellectual love. He loves the ignorant just as He loves the educated. It is a total love. He loves anybody and He loves everybody. Let me put it to you another way. God’s love has nothing to do with you. Other people may love you because of what you can do for them or how attracted you are to them or how you appeal to them or how you can influence them, but God doesn’t love you because of you. God loves you because of Him. He is love." --Dr. Merritt

Keywords: Easter, salvation, crucifixion, resurrection, Nicodemus, spring, love, believe, Gospel, grace, savior, receive, gift, lottery, Delores McNamara, Limerick, Ireland, Tim Tebow