Jodi and Benton Murphy are the proud parentsof a little girl, 6lbs 3oz, 19.5 inches. Mother and child are doing well. Her name is Maci Hope Murphy.
Scripture
1 John 3:11-24
This is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love oneanother. [12] Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murderedhis brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil andhis brother's were righteous. [13] Do not be surprised, my brothers, if theworld hates you. [14] We know that we have passed from death to life, becausewe love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death. [15] Anyonewho hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternallife in him.
[16] This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his lifefor us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. [17] If anyone hasmaterial possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, howcan the love of God be in him? [18] Dear children, let us not love with wordsor tongue but with actions and in truth. [19] This then is how we know that webelong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence [20]whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and heknows everything.
[21] Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidencebefore God [22] and receive from him anything we ask, because we obey hiscommands and do what pleases him. [23] And this is his command: to believe inthe name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us.[24] Those who obey his commands live in him, and he in them. And this is howwe know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.
Questions
1. Whois someone (in history or alive today) whose life is an example of what itmeans to love?
2. Whatmessage had the readers of 1 John heard from the beginning? (3:11)
3. How do we know what love is? (3:16)
4. Howshould Christians love? (3:18)
5. Whatis God’s command? (3:23)
6. Whendo you struggle with loving other Christians?
7. Howdo you demonstrate your love for fellow believers?
8. Whyis it easier to love with words rather than actions?
