Verse to memorize: 1 John 3:18
Let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.
Day 1: Read John 13:34 and 1 John 4:7-12
Dig In: Where does love originate? How do we gain the ability to love? Can we truly love without knowing God's love? What does the phrase "God is love" mean to you? Can you describe God's love?
Take Root: Our culture defines so many things as "love". No wonder unbelievers don't understand what God's love is! God's nature is love--that means He wants the best for us, and He shows His love through sacrificing His son for us so that we may be freed from sin and belong to Him.
Cultivate: Have you ever doubted God's love? The Old Testament describes God's love with the Hebrew word "hesed" (or "chesed"). This word is often translated "steadfast". Praise God for His steadfast love. Ask Him to give you confidence in His love.
Journal: Look up the word "hesed" and write down some words that define its meaning. How does this word add to your description and thoughts about God's love?
Day 2: Read Ephesians 5:1-2, 1 Timothy 1:5, 2 Timothy 2:22, and 1 Peter 1:22
Dig In: What is our love for one another supposed to look like? What does it mean to "walk in love"? What would love from an impure heart look like? What does love from a pure heart look like? What is sacrificial about love?
Take Root: God insists that we are to imitate Christ. As children often resemble their parents, we are to look like God in our love for one another.
Cultivate: Our culture often teaches that love is about "me"--it's all about how a person feels and what each person gets from a relationship. How does this differ from God's idea about love? Have you ever confused your opinions (or the world's opinions) about love with God's definition of love? What was the result? Pray that God shows you how to act according to God's vision of love. Ask for His help in living out God's way of love.
Journal: Write down some common perceptions about love that you see around you in movies, advertisements, songs, novels, etc. How do these views of love differ from a biblical view of love? Do you see any differences?
Day 3: Read 1 Corinthians 16:13-14, 1 Thessalonians 1:2-3, 1 John 3:16-18
Dig In: Paul advises us to be strong and firm and also to do everything in love. How does this work? How is love a "labor"? How is love related to faith? How do we know God's love? What are two deeds that John gives us as examples of acting in love? How does truth relate to love?
Take Root: R.C. Sproul states that "In biblical categories, love functions more as a verb than as a noun. It is more concerned with doing than with feeling." What do you think about that statement?
Cultivate: For you, is love a feeling? Is love action? Which is more important? What does a life of loving action (versus loving feelings) look like to you? Are you following God's ideas of loving others?
Day 4: Read 1 Corinthians 13:4-7, Romans 12:9-13, and Hebrews 13:1-6 and 16
Dig In: How does love act toward others (be specific)? What is genuine love versus false love? What are some actions that show our love?
Take Root: The Bible gives us very concrete ideas of what love looks like. Real love 'puts up' with a lot! Paul describes love for brothers and sisters in Christ as akin to the love that good parents have for their little children--love that is tender, unprompted, unforced and patient.
Cultivate: Jesus says we should love fellow Christians and that we are even to love our enemies! What can you do this week to show love to a fellow believer? What can you do this week to show love to an enemy? Pray for God's wisdom and strength to act in love this week.
Day 5: Read John 13:34-35 and 1 John 3:14-18
Dig In: Jesus gives us a new commandment. How does this differ from the old commandment to "love your neighbor as yourself"? How can we display our commitment to Jesus to nonbelievers? How do we confirm that we are saved and freed from sin and death?
Take Root: In the early church years, even the enemies and persecutors of believers noted "see how these Christians love one another!" What a remarkable testimony!
Cultivate: Does your love for others present a testimony to those who don't know Jesus? Does your love for your family (parents, spouses, children, siblings, etc.) display your love for Christ? Pray for God to deepen your love in thought and action so that your love is a wonderful testimony to the presence of Jesus in your life.
Journal: How does your love for others present Jesus to the world? Is there some caring act that you can do to show your love for Jesus? How do you think Christian love is a testimony to Jesus? What is attractive about this kind of love? Are you following Jesus' command?
Cultivating the Soil
Define "love". What does love mean to you? How do you show love? What does God say love is? How does God say we are to show love to each other?
Our love should be constantly growing and developing (1 Thessalonians 3:12). What can you work on this week to grow God's kind of love in yourself?
What do morality and ethics have to do with love? Does genuine love ever prompt us to correct or discipline someone else (Proverbs 13:24, Hebrews 12:6)? Does love mean we always say "yes" to another person or give another person whatever he or she asks? How can we show love even when we answer "no"? What is meant by the verse "Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins" (1 Peter 4:8).
Decide on one simple thing to do this week to show your love for a fellow Christian and DO IT.
Small Group Questions
Look up online https://www.monergism.com/thethreshold/articles/onsite/loveaffirm.html for a list of "love one another" commands. Tim Keller groups them into three categories. Discuss these commands--what do these verses mean in practical life? How can you live these commands out in the body of Christ, in your family, or at your workplace?
Read and discuss the following prayer. Is anything in this prayer hard to understand? Is anything hard to accept? Pray the prayer together. "Father, we know that Your perfect love is in us, but not yet perfected in us. It can be perfected in us, it can be brought to some maturity, some completeness when we love one another, when we love one another manifestly by sacrificial service to other believers and when that love is visible to a world that otherwise can't see You. How can we say that You live in us if our lives are not transcendently manifesting Your love? May we put it on display everywhere that we might enjoy that perfect love which You've given to us. We pray in Christ's name. Amen." (Prayer written by John Macarthur)
Our culture believes that love is very individualized and restricted (that we love a certain person or persons exclusively), that love can be impersonal (we "love" things or ideas!), and that love is solely based on emotions (and thus is changeable and fickle). God teaches us that His love is faithful. It is personal. It is not a feeling but sacrificial action. How can we as Christians counter these false and unrealistic expectations of God's love? Can our actions refute these sham ideas of romantic love?