The Summer You Loved

The goal of today is to think about the impact that could potentially happen if we took the next 3 months to devote ourselves to love. If for a season we would allow God to define love for us and work in and through us to distribute that love on the earth.

PRAY!

What love?

  • Love that gives of self
  • John 3:16 – 16For God so lovedthe world that he gavehis one and only Son,that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
  • Love that is undeserved
  • Romans 5:6-8 – 6You see, at just the right time,when we were still powerless,Christ died for the ungodly.7Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die.8But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
  • Love that lays down
  • 1 John 3:16-18 – 16This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.17If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them,how can the love of God be in that person?18Dear children,let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.
  • Love that is consistent
  • 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 – 4Love is patient,love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.5It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking,it is not easily angered,it keeps no record of wrongs.6Love does not delight in evilbut rejoices with the truth.7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

The Love Response

Mark 12:29-31 – 29“The most important one,”answered Jesus,“is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.30Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’31The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’There is no commandment greater than these.”

  • Love God
  • 1 John 5:3-5 – 3In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands.And his commands are not burdensome,4for everyone born of God overcomesthe world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.5Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.
  • John 14:23-24 – 23Jesus replied,“Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching.My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.24Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.
  • John 15:12 – 12My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.
  • Love People
  • Love Each Other
  • John 13:34-35 – 34“A new commandI give you: Love one another.As I have loved you, so you must love one another.35By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
  • 1 John 4:7-21 – 7Dear friends, let us love one another,for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of Godand knows God.8Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.9This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Soninto the world that we might live through him.10This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved usand sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.11Dear friends,since God so loved us,we also ought to love one another.12No one has ever seen God;but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

13This is how we knowthat we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit.14And we have seen and testifythat the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.15If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God,God lives in them and they in God.16And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.

God is love.Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.17This is how love is made completeamong us so that we will have confidenceon the day of judgment:In this world we are like Jesus.18There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

19We love because he first loved us.20Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sisteris a liar.For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen,cannot love God, whom they have not seen.21And he has given us this command:Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.

  • Love Neighbors
  • Luke 10:29-37 – 29But he wanted to justify himself,so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

30In 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.31A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side.32So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.33But a Samaritan,as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him.34He 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.35The next day he took out two denariiand 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.’

36“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”

37The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”

Jesus told him,“Go and do likewise.”

  • Love Least
  • Luke 14:12-14 – 12Then Jesus said to his host,“When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid.13But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind,14and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”
  • Love Enemies
  • Luke 6:27-36 – 27“But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,28bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.29If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them.30Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back.31Do to others as you would have them do to you.

32“If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you?Even sinners love those who love them.33And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that.34And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you?Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full.35But love your enemies, do good to them,and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be childrenof the Most High,because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.36Be merciful,just as your Fatheris merciful.