LOVE IS THE GOAL
DEFINING THE CORE VALUE
God is Love. It is His very nature; He is the purest definition of what love is.
1 John 4:16
We are created by Love and for love. Every human being was created to experience God’s love.
Genesis 1:27; Ephesians 3:17-19
Everything God does is motivated by love. It was because of His great love for us that God sent His Son Jesus on a rescue mission for all of humanity.
John 3:16-17, Romans 5:8
We are instructed to go after a life of love and make it our goal. Love is to be at the center of how we live and what we do.
1 Corinthians 14:1
God’s love is revealed to us in His Word from beginning to end.
Genesis 1:1 - Revelation 22:21 (The Whole Bible)
Holy Spirit imparts the love of God to us.
Romans 5:5
Jesus said the greatest commandment is to love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. The second greatest commandment is to love our neighbor as ourselves. We do these out of response to God’s love for us.
1 John 4:19; Mark 12:30-31; 1 John 4:11
Our eternal measure of success is determined not by anything we accomplish, our knowledge, our influence, or our possessions, but by the measure in which we receive God’s love and demonstrate His love.
1 Corinthians 13:1-3
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.
1 Corinthians 13:4-8
We were made to experience love in a way that transforms us from the inside out, becoming the very testimony of God on the earth.
1 Corinthians 3:18; John 13:35
DO NOT MISUNDERSTAND
The extravagance of God’s love cannot be confined to the pages of a book or a church service. The Bible and spiritual gatherings are meant to reveal God, not confine Him.
Ephesians 3:20; John 20:30-31
If we lose sight of God and His nature, it brings a distorted image of love.
Romans 1:21-32
God’s love is unconditional, and He loves us even in our weakness, but this does not mean we are to continue in sin. God’s love is righteous and just and empowers us to live victoriously over sin.
Romans 6:1-23; 1 John 1:9
PERSONAL APPLICATION
How we define and relate to love determines how we grow in love, portray love and give love.
1 John 4:7-8
When we receive the perfect love of our Father, it casts out fear (fear of never being good enough, fear of failure, fear of the enemy, death, calamity, etc.)
1 John 4:18
Love compels us to follow Jesus and to share His Gospel.
John 14:15; 2 Corinthians 5:14
We are on a quest of discovery from now until eternity!
Psalm 23:6; Ephesians 3:16-21; 1 Corinthians 13:12
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Jesus showed the ultimate display of love when He died for our sins on the cross. In what other ways did Jesus demonstrate the love of our Father?
Talk about the difference between being motivated by love vs. fear or selfishness.
What are things that can pull away or distract from loving God as our first priority? What are ways to help cultivate a lifestyle of loving God first?
God is Love. It is His very nature; He is the purest definition of what love is.
1 John 4:16
We are created by Love and for love. Every human being was created to experience God’s love.
Genesis 1:27; Ephesians 3:17-19
Everything God does is motivated by love. It was because of His great love for us that God sent His Son Jesus on a rescue mission for all of humanity.
John 3:16-17, Romans 5:8
We are instructed to go after a life of love and make it our goal. Love is to be at the center of how we live and what we do.
1 Corinthians 14:1
God’s love is revealed to us in His Word from beginning to end.
Genesis 1:1 - Revelation 22:21 (The Whole Bible)
Holy Spirit imparts the love of God to us.
Romans 5:5
Jesus said the greatest commandment is to love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. The second greatest commandment is to love our neighbor as ourselves. We do these out of response to God’s love for us.
1 John 4:19; Mark 12:30-31; 1 John 4:11
Our eternal measure of success is determined not by anything we accomplish, our knowledge, our influence, or our possessions, but by the measure in which we receive God’s love and demonstrate His love.
1 Corinthians 13:1-3
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.
1 Corinthians 13:4-8
We were made to experience love in a way that transforms us from the inside out, becoming the very testimony of God on the earth.
1 Corinthians 3:18; John 13:35
DO NOT MISUNDERSTAND
The extravagance of God’s love cannot be confined to the pages of a book or a church service. The Bible and spiritual gatherings are meant to reveal God, not confine Him.
Ephesians 3:20; John 20:30-31
If we lose sight of God and His nature, it brings a distorted image of love.
Romans 1:21-32
God’s love is unconditional, and He loves us even in our weakness, but this does not mean we are to continue in sin. God’s love is righteous and just and empowers us to live victoriously over sin.
Romans 6:1-23; 1 John 1:9
PERSONAL APPLICATION
How we define and relate to love determines how we grow in love, portray love and give love.
1 John 4:7-8
When we receive the perfect love of our Father, it casts out fear (fear of never being good enough, fear of failure, fear of the enemy, death, calamity, etc.)
1 John 4:18
Love compels us to follow Jesus and to share His Gospel.
John 14:15; 2 Corinthians 5:14
We are on a quest of discovery from now until eternity!
Psalm 23:6; Ephesians 3:16-21; 1 Corinthians 13:12
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Jesus showed the ultimate display of love when He died for our sins on the cross. In what other ways did Jesus demonstrate the love of our Father?
Talk about the difference between being motivated by love vs. fear or selfishness.
What are things that can pull away or distract from loving God as our first priority? What are ways to help cultivate a lifestyle of loving God first?
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