Message—It's All About Love

Thematic Focus
Learn from the Bible what are the basics of love and evaluate how you are doing with the significant relationships in your life.

Main Points
What the Bible says are the basics of love:
· Love Is About God.
· Love Is A Choice.
· Love Is An Action.
· Love Is A Skill.
· Love Is A Lifestyle.

Summary Points
The Christian faith is about loving God and loving others. How well we love reveals to us the ways we need to grow on the journey of faith.

Scriptural Lenses:
· 1 Corinthians 13
· Mark 12:29-31
· 1 Corinthians 16:14
· 1 John 4:7-8
· 2 Corinthians 13:5

Pursuing clarity
Use the following structure to guide your discussion:

Opening Prayer
Take a moment to recognize Christ’s presence among you.

Opening Question
What is your dominant life goal? Have group members identify the different life goals people have (e.g. success, fun, etc.).

Scriptural Focus
Select a Scripture you would like to focus on.

Group Discussion
Use these questions to begin your discussion:

1. How would you say our culture defines love?
2. How are the basics of love derived from the Bible similar or different?
3. In a few words describe some of the characteristics of God.
4. What are some of the ways Jesus demonstrates His love to us?
5. What keeps a person from accepting God's love?
6. Discuss habits that would help us develop love toward others.
7. When loving others we are sometimes resisted or rejected. How can Jesus' example of loving us help us to be persistent?
8. What are some of the challenges and rewards of learning to love?
9. How does our actions reflect our faith as Christians and what we truly believe?

Adjusting Focus
Take time to assess how you are doing with your love:

My love in relations to my parents?
1…….....…....…....…5…........…....……..…10
Poor Great

My love in relationship to my spouse or significant others?
1…….....…....…....…5…........…....……..…10
Poor Great

My love in relationship to my children?
1…….....…....…....…5…........…....……..…10
Poor Great

My love in relationship to a relative?
1…….....…....…....…5…........…....……..…10
Poor Great

My love in relationship to a difficult person?
1…….....…....…....…5…........…....……..…10
Poor Great

My love in relationship to a co-worker?
1…….....…....…....…5…........…....……..…10
Poor Great

My love in relationship to a neighbor?
1…….....…....…....…5…........…....……..…10
Poor Great

Maintaining Focus
How is God's Spirit prompting you to understand and view love differently? Given the group discussion, identify a step you would like to take to advance in your faith journey:

____________________________________________

Closing Prayer
Take time at the close of your time together to pray for God’s assistance in the journey. Depending on how comfortable group members feel, here are some ways you could pray:

· Write out a personal prayer.
· Have the group facilitator or a designated member of the group pray.
· Have members of the group get into a smaller group to pray for one another.
· Have several members of the group pray aloud and then conclude.

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