All
this is flashy rhetoric about loving you.
I
never had a selfless thought since I was born.
I
am mercenary and self-seeking through and through;
I
want God, you, all friends, merely to serve my turn.
Peace,
reassurance, pleasure, are the goals I seek,
I
cannot crawl one inch outside my proper skin;
I
talk of love a scholar's parrot may talk Greek
But,
self imprisoned, always end where I begin.
(C.S.Lewis)
Nothing
between us and God, our faces shining with the brightness of his face.
And so
.our lives gradually becoming brighter and more beautiful as
God enters our lives and we become like him.
2
Cor 3:18
(Message version)
Dear
God,
I
so often talk about love, but I sometimes think I'm like that parrot
on its perch chanting the words without a clue what they mean. I start
out with good intentions, but so often end up where I started, with
self-concern. I confess that naturally I don't find people easy but
you tell me to love them, all of them, and I find that hard. I guess
it's this thing about coming face to face with you so that your nature
is reflected in me. I want to be like you; I want to express your love
to people, but I'm not very good at it. Please show me yourself.
Yours
Anon
Exercise
1: Share with one other
person what of the above, stands out to you, and say why it does.
B.
What is Love?
Two
main Greek words are used in the New Testament for love:
phileo
brotherly love, friendship
love.
agape
a deep constant commitment,
not dependant on emotion, the love of God
Jn
14:21 Whoever
has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves
(agapao) me. He who loves (agapao) me will be loved
(agapao) by my Father, and I too will love
(agapao) him and show myself to him.
Exercise
2:
i)
How do we show our love for Jesus according to this?
By
ii)
Has that got anything to do with emotions? YES / NO
iii)
What happens when we love God like this?
a)
We are
.. and
b)
He
iv)
What do you think that last bit means?
..
..
..
v)
If God's love for us, and what His Spirit wants to show through us,
is all about a deep commitment TO PEOPLE, who are the people?
a)
John 13:34
i.e.
b)
Jn 3:16
..
i.e.
.
c)
Mt 5:43
d)
Mt 5:44
..
C.
Stages of Love?
Let's
think about how we SHOW love.
1.
In our MIND
Mt
22:37 love
with
all your mind
Rom
12:2 be transformed by the renewing of your mind
2
Cor 13:11 be
of one mind
Exercise
3: Suggest ways we can
love people IN OUR THINKING:
.
.
.
2.
With our WORDS
Prov
10:21 The
lips of the righteous nourish many
Prov
12:18 the
tongue of the wise brings healing
Prov
16:24 Pleasant
words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones
Exercise
4: Suggest ways we can
love people with our words :
.
...
.
3.
With our ACTIONS
Jas
1:22
(NKJV) But be doers of the word, and not hearers only
Lk
11:28
(Living) even more blessed are all who hear the word of God and
put it into practice
Exercise
5: Suggest ways we can
love people with our ACTIONS :
.
.
.
Exercise
6: Suggest how you FEEL
when you are actively loved:
.
...
.
Exercise
7 : Suggest what changes
may come about in others when we actively love them:
.
.
Sunday Services
Back to Releasing Faith Contents Page