Grow in God’s Love

What if God’s love wasn’t meant to stay the same? So many of us treat love like a one-time truth or an obligation to uphold. As we finish our BeLoved series, we’ll see how Jesus’ closest disciple John, envisioned God’s love as dynamic—growing in us as we grow in Him. We be reminded that a vibrant faith is one where Jesus keeps deepening, stretching, and transforming our lives.  Watch Full Service Discussion Guide  To view the Leader Guide for this week, click here. To view a .docx version of this guide, click here. Begin your time together with prayer  Introduction  Take some time to discuss how your experience of asking God to remind you of how you are loved as God’s child went this week. How did that change how you viewed others around you?  This week we will be discussing how our experience of God’s love shows up in our lives to the world around us.  Connect   If you could instantly master any skill what would it be?   Who have you seen grow or change in a positive way recently and what made you notice it?  Opening  Growth isn’t always easy to notice in the moment. Following Jesus can sometimes feel like a list of “dos and donts,” which might make us think that love is the same way. But God’s love isn’t about rules. Instead, it grows and evolves in us as we grow in our understanding of Him. As we experience more of God’s love, it begins to shape everything about us, from how we treat others to how we face life’s challenges.  This leads us to our main idea for this week  We can show the marks of growth in our experience of God’s love.   Unpack  Read each set of verses out loud as a group, making observations as you go. Afterward discuss each of the connected questions before moving to the next set of verses:  Read   1 John 4:7-12  Galatians 5:19-25  2 Peter 1:3-8  What stands out to you about these verses?   Where do these verses say love comes from?  If love comes first from God, why might it be difficult for us to believe or receive God’s love sometimes?  What do you think practical love looks like?   Galatians 5:22 describes what is commonly referred to as the “Fruits of the Spirit”. Why do you think “love” is listed first in this list?   What are some of “fruits of the spirit” or other marks of growth that we read in these verses that you see in your life? Which ones do you think you could emphasize more?  How can those closest to you help us recognize growth or our need for growth in our lives?  Take a couple of minutes and share some areas where you can see God working in the lives of each other in your group.   Read  Colossians 2:6-7  Romans 5:3-5  Philippians 1:9-11  According to these verses, what helps us grow spiritually as we follow Jesus?  How can we continue to cultivate a spirit of thankfulness and joy in our lives on a daily basis?  How much do you think you emphasize love and thankfulness in your daily life?   Where might God be inviting you to grow in love right now?  How can we as a group support each other to grow in God, so that love of God and others is the main thing people see when they think of us?   Action Step   Spend time talking to God this week about how he wants to grow you in love this week and put it into practice during your week.  First start with asking God how you personally need to grow in love. After God shows you the areas you need to grow, try to do that that this week. Are you quick to get angry? Ask God to help you be more peaceful. Are you quick to unkind? Ask God to help you be more kind and think of yourself less.   This might be difficult but remember this is a process. Even the fastest growth doesn’t become perfect overnight, so give yourself grace, but also be committed to the process and ask God to give you opportunities to practice this during the week.  Lean on your other group members for support and discuss how it went this week next time you meet as a group.  Closing   Growth in God’s love isn’t always immediate or obvious, but over time we can recognize our experience with it in the way we live and treat others. As we practice what we’ve talked about this week, we can ask God to continue shaping us from the inside out. The more we allow his love to grow in us, the more it becomes visible in our actions, and the more we reflect who God is to the world around us.  Pray Together  Pray for the Missionary Focus this week, then take prayer requests from your group and conclude your time in prayer for your group.  Missionary Focus  Bill Ankerberg  Bill leads a missions movement in the Nordic-Baltic region, focusing especially on Estonia, where fewer than 2% of people identify as Christian.  Prayer Requests:    For Bill’s personal health and safety    That Estonian church leaders would be receptive to the leadership and training Bill and his team provide     Spend a few minutes in prayer for Bill  Reflection Verse for the Week   *Read this verse, then encourage the practice of reflection and memorization through the week.  1 Chronicles 16:11  “Search for the Lord and for his strength; continually seek him.”  **When practiced consistently, memorizing Bible verses can be an important spiritual practice that centers your mind around the truth that God has given us.  Daily Devotional Verses   Use the S.O.A.P. method to reflect on the verses below.  Scripture: Read the verses several times. Reading out loud can be helpful as well. Observation: What can you see about the scripture you read? Application: What is God wanting you to believe, do, or feel, based on what you have read? Prayer: This is a chance to talk to God about what you have read and ask him for help in living out what you’ve learned.  Day 1: 1 John 4:7-8  Day 2: 2 Corinthians 5:17  Day 3: Hebrews 4:16  Day 4: 1 Corinthians 14:20  Day 5: Romans 12:2  Day 6: Isaiah 40:31  The post Grow in God’s Love appeared first on Journey of Faith.