LOVE: 4 Week IBD By Lynn M. Hamilton

Transcription

1 LOVE: 4 Week IBD By Lynn M. Hamilton WEEK ONE: What is Love? Text: I Corinthians 13:4-8a Content: 1. Discuss what our society says love is. 2. What is love not? (Let them answer!!) 3. What does the Bible say love is? Look up each love is... in a dictionary. (ie: look up patient and discuss if necessary. Look up kind. etc.) All of these things are regular words, but it is interesting to look them up and see what they really mean. 4. What is not mentioned in the Bible definition? (feelings) Feelings can be a big part of love, but we can choose to love even when the feelings aren t there. Give an example. 5. Replace the word love with our name (ie: Lynn is patient, Lynn is... ) When we do this we see how we fall short. However, when we put God s name in there, He does not fall short. God s love for us in unconditional and everlasting. 1

2 WEEK TWO: Love Between Two People Content: 1. A Mother s Love for Her Child I Kings 3:16-28 How does the mother demonstrate her love? How did your mother demonstrate love to you? How can we show love to others?..to our roomate?...to the girl down the hall that you don t like? 2. Our Love for Others I John 3:16-18 What does it mean to lay down our lives for our brothers? What is something I can do this week to show my love to someone? Would you lay down your life for someone that does not like you or even know you? 3. Matthew 22:34-40 What does it mean to love ourselves? How can we love our neighbor as ourselves? (Ask for examples) Who is our neighbor? 2

3 WEEK THREE: God s Love for Us How would you describe God s love for people? How would you describe God s love for you? (Is there any difference?) John 3:16-21 (Focus on vs. 16) "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. Content:. Who does God love? What do we need to do to have God love us? Who is God s love based on? (The receiver of His love or on Himself? We want to show that God loves us because He is God, not because we earned it by being good.) What did God do out of love for us? What does it say in this passage that someone needs to do for eternal life? (Describe what true believing means.) BEFORE WE LOOK AT THE NEXT PASSAGE, ASK... What would you do for someone you love? Would you do those same things for someone you don t like or someone who was mean to you? Would you die for someone you love? Romans 5:6-8 How did God demonstrate His love for us? What did God wait for before He sent Christ to die for us? What do we need to do to have God love us? Read story from Max Lucado s book A Gentle Thunder (pg ) 3

4 WEEK THREE: Continued Max Lucado: From A Gentle Thunder pgs Moms: Why do you love your newborn? I know, I know; it's a silly question, but indulge me. Why do you? For months this baby has brought you pain. She (or he!) made you break out in pimples and waddle like a duck. Because of her you craved sardines and crackers and threw up in the morning. She punched you in the tummy. She occupied space that wasn't hers and ate food she didn't fix. You kept her warm. You kept her safe. You kept her fed. But did she say thank you? Are you kidding? She's no more out of the womb than she starts to cry! The room is too cold, the blanket is too rough, the nurse is too mean. And who does she want? Mom. Don't you ever get a break? I mean, who has been doing the work the last nine months? Why can't Dad take over? But no, Dad won't do. The baby wants Mom. She didn't even tell you she was coming. She just came. And what a coming! She rendered you a barbarian. You screamed. You swore. You bit bullets and tore the sheets. And now look at you. Your back aches. Your head pounds. Your body is drenched in sweat. Every muscle strained and stretched. You should be angry, but are you? Far from it. On your face is a for-longer-than-forever love. She has done nothing for you; yet you love her. She's brought pain to your body and nausea to your morning, yet you treasure her. Her face is wrinkled and her eyes are dim, yet all you can talk about are her good looks and bright future. She's going to wake you up every night for the next six weeks, but that doesn't matter. I can see it on your face. You're crazy about her. Why? Why does a mother love her newborn? Because the baby is hers? Even more. Because the baby is her. Her blood. Her flesh. Her sinew and spine. Her hope. Her legacy. It bothers her not that the baby gives nothing. She knows a newborn is helpless, weak./she knows babies don't ask to come into this world. And God knows we didn't either. We are his idea. We are his. His face. His eyes. His hands. His touch. We are him. Look deeply into the face of every human being on earth, and you will see his likeness. Though some appear to be distant relatives, they are not. God has no cousins, only children. 4

5 1 John 4:9-10, 19 What is significant about the fact that God loved us first? Who is God s love based on? (We want to show that God loves us because He is God, not because we earned it by being good.) Romans 8:35-39 What can stop God from loving us? What are some things that people do to try and earn God s love? Does God love them more? Why? Can you make God love you less? Why? Why is it so hard for us to embrace the fact that God loves us unconditionally? Has this discussion changed your perception of God s love for you? How? Why? (What difference will that make in your own life?) WEEK FOUR: Our Response to God s Love Text: The Bridge Illustration 5