| What is
Love? A. Love is _____. It’s hard to imagine the
number of answers that have been offered to fill in that blank. B. We want to look beyond ourselves, past the
mirages of popular culture, and consult the Creator. Is there anything more important to
understand and pursue than love? · Which is the ______________ commandment in
the Law? (Matt 22:34-40) · What new commandment did the Son of God give?
(John 13:34) · How will people ________ that we are disciples of Jesus? (John
13:35) · Is it really that important? (1 Cor 13:3) Where do we even begin to understand?
“Love so amazing, so divine…” · “______ is love” (1 John 4:8) · “Love is
from God” (1 John 4:7) · “In this the love of God was made __________ among
us, that God sent his only Son” (1 John 4:9) · “In this is love, not that we
have loved God but that he loved us” (1 John 4:10) What does all of that have to do with me?
“…demands my soul, my life, my all” · “This is love, that we walk according
to his __________________” (2 John 6) · “This is the love of God, that we
keep his commandments” (1 John 5:3) · “Beloved, if God so loved us, we also
ought to love one ______________” (1 John 4:11) · “If we love one another,
God abides in us and his love is perfected in us” (1 John 4:12) What will “perfected” love look like?
“Were the whole realm of nature mine…” · In 2 Corinthians 8:8, Paul
identified “genuine” love among the churches of Macedonia. How so? Þ
8:1—genuine love is awakened and enabled by the __________ of God Þ 8:2a—the
grace of God produces an abundance of ______ Þ 8:2b—abundance of joy in God’s
grace overflows in the showing of grace to _________ Þ 8:3-9—____________
love is the overflow and expansion of joy in God which sacrificially and
gladly meets the needs of others · Genuine love cherishes God as the supreme
_____________ of the universe and therefore wants others also to experience
and cherish the supreme Treasure, even at the cost of personal sacrifice. Þ
If God so loved us… (Jer 31:3) Þ …we also ought to love one another. What
will it take? (Jude 17-25) * ________________ (17) * Building yourselves up
in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit (20) * _________
yourselves in the love of God (21) * Waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus
Christ that leads to eternal life (21) * Showing ___________ to others
(22-23) * Thereby exalting God as the supreme Treasure of the universe
(24-25) |
