Two Loves

TO START

To begin Michael’s sermon, he detailed a scene from Good Will Hunting in order to spark our imagination. Will, one of the main actors (played by Matt Damon) was abused as a child and has struggled to come to terms with the very real implications of that abuse on his life. Another main character, Sean (played by Robin Williams) is a therapist who is working with Will to come to terms with this reality. In this scene, Sean shows what it looks like to make someone feel truly loved. 

In light of this scene, a great way to begin group tonight would be to take time to consider this question: 

  • What memories do you have that make you feel loved? (Please spend some time sharing those memories with the group)

 

TO DISCUSS

On Sunday, Michael reminded us of how necessary it is to truly experience a visceral love for God, a love that isn’t boring or vague but rather a love that moves us to transformation, to joy, and to expectation. A love that wraps you in the arms of God, which will never let go. Can you feel that love? Have you taken time to sit in that love knowing that if you sit with the phrase “God loves you”, things will never be the same?

Read John 3:16-21

  • Do you believe that it’s hard to know that God loves you in more than a cerebral way? 

  • Jesus has come to be the light of the world and he has come to eradicate the darkness with his love for us. Jesus clearly wants us to experience the love of God that casts out all hate and evil. 

  • Yet even if we believe this, we must ask ourselves a key question: what do I love and how do I recognize what I love? 

  • Here’s 5 questions to help:

    • How do I spend my money?

    • How do I spend my time?

    • What do I do impulsively?

    • What makes me mad or frustrated?

    • What do I worry about?

Take time to answer these questions in your group.=

What we come to realize through these questions is that we love things that are good, bad, and neutral. And even more, we come to realize that Jesus acts as a revealing light of all those things! A light that transforms but also a light that uncovers things we want kept hidden.

What would it mean for you to truly allow Jesus’s light to encroach upon you and to step on your toes a little? No need to answer that out loud but spend some time praying for Jesus to enable you to let him reveal those things to you! What if you came to realize that Jesus’ revealing light is meant to give you ETERNAL LIFE not to condemn you to death?

What might that change in your life?

Last question to group: Do you have trouble thinking about God loving you in a visceral way? If so, why?

TO READ:

Luke 15:11-24 , Zephaniah 3:17 and Revelation 21:3-4

  • These are examples of God’s emotional love for us that is by no means cerebral but is fully engaged with every part of our being… “GOD LOVES YOU” 

TO PRAY:
Pray that God might allow you to let your guard down so that He might be able to show you how much He loves you. Consider where you need God’s revealing love to transform your life and how you can make yourself vulnerable enough to let God and others love you. Share it with the group and pray to be changed! 


Guest User