MEETING GOD: THE CAREGIVER
Gary Sager
THEME – Love is the true path to caring.
TEXT - 1 John 3:11; Matthew 22:37-39
1. Importance of Love
* Matt. 22:40
* Rom. 13:10
* John 13:34
2. Love Who
* Matt. 5:43 – Love your enemy.
* Luke 10:30-37 – Good Samaritan.
3. Love Why - John 13:35
4. Love How
* Rom. 5:8 – He loves unconditionally.
* 2 Cor. 5:21 – He loves sacrificially.
* Eph. 4:32 – He loves with forgiveness.
* Rom. 8:38-39 – He loves eternally.
5. Key Reason
John 15:12-13, Romans 5:8
NEXT STEPS – Can we love as Christ loved?
“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.” ~ 1 Cor. 13:4-7
“This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” ~ 1 John 4:9-11
---------------------------------
Take the Sacred Pathways Assessment
This Sacred Pathways Survey will help you to better understand yourself and your relationship with God, your strengths and your weaknesses, what to do in times of stress, and how to challenge yourself. It’s a blessing to share this survey with friends. Along these lines we recently used this when leading a retreat for a church staff.
This Sacred Pathways Survey is inspired by and adapted from Gary Thomas’ book, “Sacred Pathways: Discovering your Soul’s Path to God.”
https://www.soulshepherding.org/sacred-pathways-survey/
SACRED PATHWAYS and DESCRIPTIONS
Nature - Appreciating the beauty of God’s creation.
Enthusiastic Worship - Celebrating God’s goodness with thanks and praise.
Learning - Gaining insights about God and life with him.
Tradition - Following time-honored spiritual traditions and practices.
Asceticism - Abstaining from comforts to make more space for God.
Sensation - Experiencing God with your physical senses or imagination.
Caregiving - Offering God’s compassion to those the hurting or struggling.
Social Justice - Actively engaging with others to serve the poor and needy
Contemplation/Quiet Prayer - Being absorbed with God in quiet solitude.