2019-02-20 – EMOTE: LOVE

SMALL GROUP MATERIAL

EMOTE – LOVE

Wednesday February 20, 2019 – Small Group Discussion

KEY SCRIPTURE: Matthew 22:36-40, 1 Corinthians 13

MAIN POINT: I have one job: Love

INWARD PRAYER

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

  1. What is one phrase or part of the devotional that was given on love tonight that meant something or connected with you?
  2. Why do you think that stood out to you and do you think that is important?
  3. Who is the most loving person you know (don’t say “Jesus”)? How do they express love?
  4. As a group, have one person read out loud 1 Corinthians 13:4-7, replacing the word love with the word Jesus.
    1. From what you just heard, is that a good description of Jesus?
    2. Why or why not? Explain.
  5. Have a leader instruct the group to now silently say their names where the word love is as you read out loud 1 Corinthians 13:4-7, pausing where the word love is.
    1. How did it feel to put your name in the description?
    2. What phrases felt the most true to you? (ie. BLANK is patient)
    3. What phrases felt the most dishonest? Why?
  6. If you were more loving in those areas that you just highlighted you struggle with, how would that impact others in your life? Who would it impact and how?
  7. How can God help us be more loving? How do you get better at your one job of love?

OUTWARD PRAYER

DEVOTIONAL MESSAGE

EMOTE – LOVE

Wednesday February 20, 2019 – Devotional

WHAT’S THE POINT?
I have one job, Love.

Word up

Matthew 22:36-40, 1 Corinthians 13

This text in Matthew is the very familiar rules of love that Jesus gives. If we could use that phrase “you had one job” I would add to it: “actually, you have two, but they are one and the same.”

The Corinthians chapter is a popular love chapter. It is often used at weddings, but it wasn’t written just for married couples, it’s actually written to the church of Corinth and to all. Love is an emotion, but often it’s only talked about as an emotion. It is so much more as this passage shows us.

Breaking down the love chapter into a few sections we see:
The first section of verses 1-3 – talks about how love is better. This love chapter follows a chapter where spiritual gifts are talked about, and the Corinthian’s church seems to compete amongst themselves. Who has the better gift? Who is better? Paul lays it straight out, love trumps all spiritual gifts. Without love, even the most significant gifts and abilities are nothing. It compares love to sacrifice and declares that no matter the extravagance of the sacrifice, it doesn’t measure up to love.

The second section of verses 4-7 – defines love. Early on in Corinthians Paul highlights that “knowledge puffs up,” 1 Corinthians 8:1, so, it’s not just knowing this beautiful definition. It’s not like, we just learn these facts about love and we’re good. These characteristics of love mentioned are actually in the present continuous tense in Greek (the language the New Testament was written). What that means is that these characteristics are actions and attitudes there are habitual, on going, repeating again and again. Our lives resemble Jesus as we live these out over and over again.

The third section of verses 8-13 – like the first section, expresses the importance of love and its power. The last verse clearly puts faith, and hope below love in priority. That is another reason that this is our one job.

WAKE UP
Here are a few ideas of grabbing the attention of youth and pointing towards the topic:

  1. Use the Nailed It or Failed It video slideshow titled “You Had One Job” and then transition to asking youth what is the one job we have as followers of Jesus? (answer: love) To get the video slideshow text or email Joel for the link. (780) 996-5635 or joel@beulah.ca – it is purchased content we can not publicly share, but have permission to use in Beulah Youth Ministries.
  2. Pick one of the characteristics of love found in verse 4-7 that you have seen someone exemplify and share how that impacted you or someone else. Alternately, pick one of the characteristics of love that you failed at, and tell the story.

WHY DO I CARE?

  • Love is my one job as follower of Jesus
  • Love is the crucial ingredient for an extraordinary life
  • The more I love the way it is described in the Bible, the more impact my life will have

WHAT DO I DO?

  • Out loud, read 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 and replace the word love with Jesus
  • Out loud, read 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 and replace the word love with my own name
  • Take the characteristics that seem the most untrue of me and ask Jesus to make me more loving in those areas
  • Love