week 1: love · week 1: love god is a sending god who is on a mission to redeem his creation. as...

LOVE WHERE YOU ARE | WEEK 1: LOVE PAGE 1 © First Christian Church firstdecatur.org We are in a four-week sermon series called “Love Where You Are.” In this series, we are examining what it means to love people and live on-mission in the settings God has placed us in. This study is intended to be used by small groups and classes during any two weeks of this series or following this series. If you weren’t able to hear the sermons, you can listen to them at firstdecatur.org/sermons or on the app. WEEK 1: LOVE God is a sending God who is on a mission to redeem his creation. As the Church and as individual Christians, we are instruments of God’s mission in the world. Our mission is to join God by living out our role of being sent in whatever situations we have been sent into. The choice is ours. We can love God and love those around us, or we can choose to ignore those he has placed most closely to us. Over the next two weeks, we want to build on what we have been talking about during the “Love Where You Are” series, and help you individually, and as a group of people walking life together, to take practical steps toward what it means to love your neighbors. WHAT IS LOVE? When you think of the word “love,” what songs, ideas, stories, images, or concepts come to mind? (Please keep it PG.) Have each person in your group share at least one thing. How would you define our culture’s definition of the word “love?” Read MATTHEW 22:34-40 The religious leaders of Jesus’s day were determined to get him to say something that would incriminate him or cause his loyal followers to disown him. As you reflect on this passage, what could Jesus have said that would have offended his followers or violated God’s law? Why was Jesus’ answer so brilliant? How would Jesus’ understanding of love be different than our culture’s definition of love? What is one barrier in your life that keeps you from loving God and others like Jesus directed us to?

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Page 1: WEEK 1: LOVE · WEEK 1: LOVE God is a sending God who is on a mission to redeem his creation. As the Church and as individual Christians, we are instruments of God’s mission in

LOVEWHEREYOUARE|WEEK1:LOVE PAGE1© First Christian Church firstdecatur.org

Weareinafour-weeksermonseriescalled“LoveWhereYouAre.”Inthisseries,weareexaminingwhatitmeanstolovepeopleandliveon-missioninthesettingsGodhasplacedusin.Thisstudyisintendedtobeusedbysmallgroupsandclassesduringanytwoweeksofthisseriesorfollowingthisseries.Ifyouweren’tabletohearthesermons,youcanlistentothematfirstdecatur.org/sermonsorontheapp.

WEEK 1: LOVE GodisasendingGodwhoisonamissiontoredeemhiscreation.AstheChurchandasindividualChristians,weareinstrumentsofGod’smissionintheworld.OurmissionistojoinGodbylivingoutourroleofbeingsentinwhateversituationswehavebeensentinto.Thechoiceisours.WecanloveGodandlovethosearoundus,orwecanchoosetoignorethosehehasplacedmostcloselytous.Overthenexttwoweeks,wewanttobuildonwhatwehavebeentalkingaboutduringthe“LoveWhereYouAre”series,andhelpyouindividually,andasagroupofpeoplewalkinglifetogether,totakepracticalstepstowardwhatitmeanstoloveyourneighbors.

WHAT IS LOVE? � Whenyouthinkoftheword“love,”whatsongs,ideas,stories,images,orconceptscometomind?

(PleasekeepitPG.)Haveeachpersoninyourgroupshareatleastonething.

� Howwouldyoudefineourculture’sdefinitionoftheword“love?”

ReadMATTHEW22:34-40

� ThereligiousleadersofJesus’sdayweredeterminedtogethimtosaysomethingthatwould

incriminatehimorcausehisloyalfollowerstodisownhim.Asyoureflectonthispassage,whatcouldJesushavesaidthatwouldhaveoffendedhisfollowersorviolatedGod’slaw?

� WhywasJesus’answersobrilliant?� HowwouldJesus’understandingoflovebedifferentthanourculture’sdefinitionoflove?� WhatisonebarrierinyourlifethatkeepsyoufromlovingGodandotherslikeJesusdirectedusto?

Page 2: WEEK 1: LOVE · WEEK 1: LOVE God is a sending God who is on a mission to redeem his creation. As the Church and as individual Christians, we are instruments of God’s mission in

LOVEWHEREYOUARE|WEEK1:LOVE PAGE2© First Christian Church firstdecatur.org

� Whatisonestepyou’vetakeninthepasttowardlovingpeoplemore?Whatisthenextstepyou

needtotake?

Read1PETER2:9-12

� Inweek1ofthisseries,wetalkedabouttheideaofallbelieversbeingpriests.Inyourownwords,

howwouldyoudescribewhatapriestis?� Inwhatwaysdoyoubelievewearesupposedtofunctionlikeapriest?� SharewithyourgroupwhatitwasliketogoaroundyourneighborhoodprayingtheAaronicBlessing

(Numbers6:22-26)foryourneighbors.Howdiditfeel?WhatdidGodteachyouasyoudidit?Didyouhaveanyinteractionswithyourneighbors?Ifso,whatwerethoseinteractionslike?Ifyoudidn’tdoit,whatkeptyoufromdoingit?Whatwouldyoudodifferentlynexttime?

ReadACTS17:26-28 and1JOHN4:19-21

� Asyoureflectontheseverses,howwouldyoudescribewhatLukeandJohnaresayingaboutGod’s

intentionalityinplacingyouinyourneighborhood,livingnexttoyourneighbors?� IfyouaregoingtotakeseriouslyJesus’calltoloveotherswell,youunderstandyourroleasapriest,

andyoubelievethatGodhasstrategicallyplacedyouinyourneighborhood,whatisonethingthatwouldneedtochangeinyourlife?Whatiskeepingyoufrommakingthatchange?

TAKE ACTION � Asyoucloseyourtimetoday,giveeachpersonafewminutestojotdownfivewaystheycanshow

God’slovetothepeopleintheirneighborhood.Askthemtochooseoneofthefivetosharewiththegroup.Havesomeoneinthegroupwritethesedownandagreeasagroupthatyouwillfollowupnextweektoseehowthiswentforeachgroupmember.

� Prayforthepeopleinyourneighborhoodsandspecificallyforoneanotherasyoustepouttoshow

God’slovetothem.

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