𝗪𝗔𝗥𝗠 𝗨𝗣

• Think of a film or TV series about love that you have watched. Share some scenes that were memorable to you.

• What is one of the most loving acts someone has done for you, and what impact did it have on you?

• Why is love important?

𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗗

𝘉𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘥, 𝘭𝘦𝘵 𝘶𝘴 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳, 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘎𝘰𝘥, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘰𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘣𝘰𝘳𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘴 𝘎𝘰𝘥. 𝘈𝘯𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘎𝘰𝘥, 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘪𝘴 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦. 𝘐𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘧𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘶𝘴, 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘚𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥, 𝘴𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘦 𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘩𝘪𝘮. 𝘐𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦, 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘶𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘚𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘴. 𝟭 𝗝𝗢𝗛𝗡 𝟰:𝟳–𝟭𝟬

(Read also 𝟭 𝗝𝗢𝗛𝗡 𝟰.)

When we hear songs, read stories, or watch videos about love, we often describe it based on feelings or emotions. Some people view love in terms of transactional relationships, which can lead to self-service or expecting something in return. Love can easily be misunderstood because the world offers an incomplete meaning of it. But God’s love is perfect, unconditional, and transformative. This is why the apostle John, in one of his letters, encouraged his audience to love the way God does. Today, let’s explore how God demonstrated His love and why we can truly love others.

𝟭. 𝗚𝗼𝗱’𝘀 𝗻𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲.

𝘉𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘥, 𝘭𝘦𝘵 𝘶𝘴 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳, 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘎𝘰𝘥, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘰𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘣𝘰𝘳𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘴 𝘎𝘰𝘥. 𝘈𝘯𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘎𝘰𝘥, 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘪𝘴 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦. 𝟭 𝗝𝗢𝗛𝗡 𝟰:𝟳–𝟴

In the passage above, John writes that God is the ultimate source and definition of true love. In fact, God’s love is not just an attribute—it is His very essence. Everything God does is out of love. Anything done apart from His love does not reflect who He is. When we walk in a relationship with God, we learn to follow His ways and love others the way He does. How has God shown you His love? In what ways has God shown His love for others through you?

𝟮. 𝗚𝗼𝗱’𝘀 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗝𝗲𝘀𝘂𝘀.

𝘐𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘧𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘶𝘴, 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘚𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥, 𝘴𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘦 𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘩𝘪𝘮. 𝘐𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦, 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘶𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘚𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘴. 𝟭 𝗝𝗢𝗛𝗡 𝟰:𝟵–𝟭𝟬

Sin marred and corrupted our understanding of love. Humanity became incapable of reflecting true love, falling short on multiple occasions. But because of His great love, God chose to send His Son, Jesus, to show us what love looks like. Jesus’ death on the cross is the ultimate demonstration of God’s perfect love—sacrificial, self-giving, and unconditional. We can understand what true love is like as we know and experience God’s love. How has Jesus’ finished work on the cross changed your understanding of love?

God’s love transforms us from the inside out and restores our identity in Him. John calls his readers as beloved and those who genuinely love others as those 𝘣𝘰𝘳𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘎𝘰𝘥. As we continue to grasp His love, may we go deeper in our relationship with Him and extend His love to the people around us.

𝗔𝗣𝗣𝗟𝗜𝗖𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡

• How has this discussion changed or challenged your perspective of love?

• Are there challenges or roadblocks that hinder you from receiving God’s love? Ask God to help you overcome those and walk freely in His love for you.

• Think of people close to you who need to receive God’s love this week. How may you demonstrate His love for them through your words and actions?

𝗣𝗥𝗔𝗬𝗘𝗥

• Thank God for sending Jesus to die on the cross in our place as the greatest demonstration of His love. Thank Him that we can love because He first loved us.

• Ask God to keep you grounded in His love every day. Pray that God would help you remain in His love, not in the way the world defines it.

• Pray that God would help you have a heart for others. Ask God to show you how you can demonstrate His love in your places of influence this week.