Our goal, as a church family, is that we would all be OUTRAGEOUSLY LOVING people who PASSIONATELY PURSUE the Lord with IRRATIONALLY GIVING lifestyles as we CONSISTENTLY SUBMIT to God’s desires and EFFECTIVELY DISCIPLE others to do the same.
The Bible in its entirety is summed up in two sentences according to Jesus:
Matt 22:36-40 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 37 Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” NIV
To love God is to devote your life to experiencing God’s Love and in that experience, you are transformed. The love you have embraced in Christ is naturally shared with others as you follow his sacrificial example.
The first commandment unlocks the second. When you experience his love, it is natural to express his love. You were created with all these internal mechanisms that unlock in the presence of God’s Love.
A child does not know how to put it into words but when mom and dad come into a room in front of them and are exchanging in the spirit and attitude of love the child feels good about life in general. There is a sense of strength and confidence that results.
John 15:9-13 As the Father has loved Me, so have I loved you…12 This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. NIV
Jesus said, “As the father loves me I love you.” This means as God loves himself, so God loves us.
Isn’t it crazy to think that God loves us like the Father loves the Son and his desire is to release that powerful loving force within us for others!?! When we experience this kind of love it activates our lives on so many levels.
1 John 4:18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear… ESV
Imagine you are enjoying the sunshine on a beautiful day in a park on a picnic blanket. Suddenly a snake slithers up beside you. Your reaction would be to get off that blanket and away from that snake as your highest priority in that moment. This all changes, however, if an infant is lying on the blanket as well. Your fear of snakes will be overshadowed by your love for that child. Perfect love casts out fear.
The atmosphere of love completely transforms our perspective. If you are loving others by gritting your teeth then you are starting at the end of the equation. Trying harder is missing the point.
Reflect on The Good Samaritan this week in Luke 10. Consider the fact that the man who was stripped and beaten could speak of Jesus having come from heaven to earth represented by coming from Jerusalem to Jericho. Jesus was despised and rejected by his own people so perhaps this is why we see the Levite and the priest neglecting him while the unlikely Samaritan shows sacrificial compassion and loving concern. // Pay particular attention to Jesus’ response to the lawyer’s question trying to justify himself asking, “Who is my neighbor.”
We Bring GP2RL Action Point:
Look for an opportunity to be the Good Samaritan to somebody in need this week!
DISCUSSION GUIDE FOR COMMUNITY GROUP LEADERS
Click here for a downloadable pdf file of this guide.
Our goal, as a church family, is that we would all be OUTRAGEOUSLY LOVING people who PASSIONATELY PURSUE the Lord with IRRATIONALLY GIVING lifestyles as we CONSISTENTLY SUBMIT to God’s desires and EFFECTIVELY DISCIPLE others to do the same.
This requires that we put into practice a personal pursuit of God. This year in our Community Groups we want to start each group with the first and primary question of “Where are you reading in your Bible and what are you sensing from God?” This will help us as a church family to explore with expectation how conversations are becoming confirmations that God is speaking to us all.
DISCUSSION QUESTION:
1. Where are you reading in your Bible and what are you sensing from God?
2020 is a year of seeing more clearly what God has in mind for our lives, for our friends, for our family and for our world. Seeing through God’s eyes of love gives us a clearer picture of God’s plans to use his people to care for others.
A child does not know how to put it into words but when mom and dad come into a room in front of them and are exchanging in the spirit and attitude of love the child feels good about life in general. There is a sense of strength and confidence that results.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
2. If you had this experience, what are the things you observed growing up that demonstrated love between your parents.
3. In what ways does this atmosphere of love in a home affect a child emotionally, intellectually and spiritually?
Luke 10:25-29 On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?” He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; &, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.” But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
DISCUSSION QUESTION:
4. How would the question asking who is his neighbor be a way to justify himself?
It is possible that he was trying to alleviate responsibility from having to love people unlike him that he didn’t commonly relate to in life. It’s much easier to love people who vote like us, live like us and think like us.
Jesus response clearly communicates how God’s love invading our lives produces a responsibility to provide love for others regardless of who they are or how they treat us.
Luke 10:30-37 In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’ “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.” NIV
DISCUSSION QUESTION:
5. What are your observations about how the Good Samaritan cared for the man in need?
Taking the time to notice a need and then sacrificially offering help is the way of love. The Bible says as we have done to those in need we have ministered to Jesus.
Perhaps the ‘man in need’ speaks of Jesus’ who came from heaven to earth, represented by his coming from Jerusalem to Jericho (the place where sinners dwell). The place where He was stripped and beaten. Perhaps The Good Samaritan represents the body of believers, including Gentiles who recognized the suffering of Jesus and accepted him. This is unlike the priest and the Levite who did not give any regard to his suffering. The Bible says Jesus came to his own and his own did not receive him – John 1:11.
We bring GP2RL Action Point:
Look for an opportunity to be the Good Samaritan to somebody in need this week!