2023
God is Love
Passage: 1 John 4:7-21
“The most eloquent testimony to the reality of the resurrection is not an empty tomb or a well-orchestrated pageant on Easter Sunday but rather a group of people who life together is so radically different, so completely changed from the way the world builds a community, that there can be no explanation other than that something decisive has happened in history.” Will Willimon
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
What is a team, business, or group that you have appreciated/participated in because of what you observed about the group? What attracted you to them?
Read 1 John 4:7-21. What ideas or phrases surprise, encourage, or spark questions for you?
When you think about God, what images come to your mind? (king, judge, creator?) How does the description of God as love uniquely shape your understanding of God and your relationship with God?
How have you experienced God’s love? What rhythms or habits in your life help you to remember and enjoy God’s love?
What does it look like to share God’s love with one another, specifically Christian brothers and sisters? The sermon suggested a few ideas: be present, seek peace, encourage others, graciously warn, carry one another’s burdens. In what ways do you as part of Covenant Church see these happening well or needing to be strengthened? How are you (or how could you be) practicing this love as a community group?
PRAYER
Share with your group how they can be praying for you: what is weighing on you from this past week? What are you praising God for from this past week?
“I rejoice, O God, that you have called me to be a member of your Church. Let the awareness of this holy fellowship follow me wherever I go, cheering me in loneliness, protecting me in company, strengthening me against temptation, and encouraging me to act in love and justice.” John Baillie, A Diary of Private Prayer
But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life. Jude 20-21