This is Love

---

This is Love Text: 1 John 4:7-14 Bible Teacher Ben Stuart

1. Ben suggested that we see love when: love initiates, love sacrifices, and love stays. Share with the group where you have seen love on display or actually demonstrated in your life? Through a relationship, situation, song, novel, movie etc.? 2. Did you know that John wrote the Gospel of John towards the beginning of his life and his three letters (1 John, 2 John, 3 John) towards the end of his life? In 1 John, we can see that the apostle expounds upon the teachings he captures in the Gospel of John. Let’s take a look at a few examples: a) Read 1 John 4:7-13 and then read John 3:16-21. What similarities do you observe in John’s writings? How can you see that love sends and love sacrifices? b) Re-read 1 John 4:7-17 and then read John 15:1-17. What similarities do you observe in John’s writings? How can you see that love stays? 3. Read Luke 7:36-50. a. b. c. d.

How did Simon respond to the love that Jesus had for this woman? How did Jesus respond to Simon in love? Can you relate to Simon’s feelings or reaction? If it is the greatest commandment (Matthew 22:36-37), then why do we still have such a hard time living the act of love?

4. Read John 15:1-17. We cannot give what we do not have. If we are going to genuinely and freely love others, it has to come from the overflow of the love that God has for us. a) b) c) d)

How do we see this principle throughout this passage? What happens when we try to manufacture this on our own? How do we abide in Christ or as Ben put it, “breathe in the love of God”? How does the love of God in Christ free us to love others?



Challenge: Analyze your daily and weekly rhythms of life, perhaps even chart it out. Be honest with yourself. As you look at how you are spending your time, are you filling your days with things that stir your affections for Jesus, things that distract you from Jesus, or even things that fill you with negativity? Identify one goal you want to make this coming week to abide in Christ. Share that with your group and ask each other to hold each other accountable.

Prayer: Our Father, today we praise You with our whole heart. We will tell of all Your marvelous works. We will be glad and rejoice in You; we will sing praises to Your Name. We cry out with a loud voice, “thanks be to our God.” As the heavens are high above the earth, so great is Your mercy toward those who fear You; as far as the east is from the west, You have removed our transgressions from us. Thank You for being our Father and calling us Your children. Thank You for loving us unconditionally. Thank You for creating us for Your good pleasure. Father, You have asked us to continue to love one another, for love comes from You. Anyone who loves is Your child and knows You. Those who do not love do not know You, for You are love. You have shown how much You loved us by sending Your one and only Son, Jesus, into the world so that we might have eternal life through Him. This is real love – not that we loved You, but You loved us and sent Your Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. Thank You Jesus, for giving Your life for ours. We were not worthy, yet You made us worthy to love and know You. Thank You! Today, we confess that we will love You with all of our hearts, souls, strength and minds, and we will love our neighbor as we love ourselves. Lord, forgive us for not loving and caring for all people. Forgive us for not loving You with our whole hearts. Forgive us for holding grudges and remembering old debts. Forgive us for judging others before getting to know them. Forgive us for being proud, impatient, stubborn, rebellious, or jealous. Please forgive us for not forgiving other people. Remind us to forgive others; and we shall be quick to forgive. Lord, You are high above all nations, and Your glory is above the heavens. Who is like You, the Lord our God, who dwells on high, who humbles Yourself to behold the things that are in the heavens and in the earth? You have declared, “be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations; I will be exalted in the earth.” In Jesus’ Name, Amen.





STUDY DEEPER We are a people of promise. For centuries, God prepared people for the coming of his Son, our only hope for life. At Christmas we celebrate the fulfillment of the promises God made—that he would give a way to draw near to him. Advent is what we call the season leading up to Christmas. It begins four Sundays before December 25, sometimes in the last weekend of November, sometimes on the first Sunday in December. 1 Peter 1:10-12 is a clear description of what we look back to during Advent. Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look. (1 Peter 1:10-12 ) For four weeks, it’s as if we’re re-enacting, remembering the thousands of years God’s people were anticipating and longing for the coming of God’s salvation, for Jesus. That’s what advent means— coming. Even God’s men who foretold the grace that was to come didn’t know “what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating." They were waiting, but they didn’t know what God’s salvation would look like. In fact, God revealed to them that they were not the ones who would see the sufferings and glory of God’s Christ: They were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. They were serving us. We Christians on this side of Jesus’ birth are a God-blessed, happy people because we know God’s plan. The ancient waiting is over. We have the greatest reason to celebrate. Advent Devotional Options

http://www.desiringgod.org/books/good-news-of-great-joy http://www.desiringgod.org/books/the-dawning-of-indestructible-joy



http://thevillagechurch.net/mediafiles/uploaded/a/0e4647668_1446757303_adv ent-guide-2015.pdf http://www.paultripp.com/assets/1804/advent_2013.pdf