Community Group Leader Guide
What is Love? Lesson 3
Community Group Leader Guide What Love Looks Like [1 John 3:11-18] LESSON & DISCUSSION POINTS Primer Question: What is a time you remember being sacrificially loved?
Tonight, we’ll discuss what love looks like in the Christian life
Read 1 John 3:11-18. John contrasts the actions of Cain with those of Jesus Christ. What is the difference between Cain and Jesus?
Cain hated and murdered his brother, while Jesus loved and died for us “Hate is negative, seeks the other person’s harm, and leads to activity against him, even to the point of murder. Love is positive, seeks the other’s person’s good, and leads to activity for him, even to the point of self-sacrifice.” (Stott 144)
John continues his letter with another test for a Christian’s faith – do you love? According to this passage, what are some qualities of Christian love?
Chiefly seen in the example of Jesus Christ, who laid down his life for us (v. 16) Christian love means self-sacrifice, even of a radical nature. This means being inconvenienced for someone else’s good. Examples: meeting needs of others, serving, loving in both words and actions.
In the middle of this instruction, John reminds us that Christians’ love for one another is evidence they have passed from death (in sin) to life (in Christ). Why is this connection between life and love important? How does this life or death show up in this world?
This new life is an experience of the resurrected life of Christ – the ultimate display of God’s love and grace to us. It is experiencing this love of God that changes our hearts. Therefore, those who haven’t experienced this new life (those of the world), will hate and continue in death. And they may resent those who love.
www.citychurchgnv.com · ©2014 Ryan Harding and City Church
What is Love? Lesson 3
APPLICATION Verse 16 says, “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.” How has Jesus’ act of love impacted you personally? Likewise, we are called to lay down our lives for our brothers. What are some ways we can tangibly practice this? More than that, how can we develop a sacrificial-loving instinct? Compared to the rest of the world (and the rest of history), we are a very wealthy people. If part of love is meeting others’ needs, what does it look like for us to practice sacrificial love in a country with such affluence?
What can it look like in our church? In our city?
PRAYER HUDDLES & APPRENTICES Model | A great way to model the love of Christ to those you disciple is to serve them. Look for and create opportunities to cook meals for them, clean up after them, invite them into your home, assist them with something, or give them thoughtful gifts. Experience | Encourage your CG to pray throughout this week for more loving, generous hearts. Then challenge them to look for ways to love others in the body of Christ by meeting a need, giving, serving, and encouraging. Debrief | Discuss how this affected each of you in huddles. Encourage your disciples to pray for an instinct of love (that acts regularly and creatively), rather than a “program” of love (that acts when expected to).
www.citychurchgnv.com · ©2014 Ryan Harding and City Church
Community Group Leader Guide What Love Looks Like [1 John 3:11-18] LESSON & DISCUSSION POINTS Primer Question: What is a time you remember being sacrificially loved?
Tonight, we’ll discuss what love looks like in the Christian life
Read 1 John 3:11-18. John contrasts the actions of Cain with those of Jesus Christ. What is the difference between Cain and Jesus?
Cain hated and murdered his brother, while Jesus loved and died for us “Hate is negative, seeks the other person’s harm, and leads to activity against him, even to the point of murder. Love is positive, seeks the other’s person’s good, and leads to activity for him, even to the point of self-sacrifice.” (Stott 144)
John continues his letter with another test for a Christian’s faith – do you love? According to this passage, what are some qualities of Christian love?
Chiefly seen in the example of Jesus Christ, who laid down his life for us (v. 16) Christian love means self-sacrifice, even of a radical nature. This means being inconvenienced for someone else’s good. Examples: meeting needs of others, serving, loving in both words and actions.
In the middle of this instruction, John reminds us that Christians’ love for one another is evidence they have passed from death (in sin) to life (in Christ). Why is this connection between life and love important? How does this life or death show up in this world?
This new life is an experience of the resurrected life of Christ – the ultimate display of God’s love and grace to us. It is experiencing this love of God that changes our hearts. Therefore, those who haven’t experienced this new life (those of the world), will hate and continue in death. And they may resent those who love.
www.citychurchgnv.com · ©2014 Ryan Harding and City Church
What is Love? Lesson 3
APPLICATION Verse 16 says, “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.” How has Jesus’ act of love impacted you personally? Likewise, we are called to lay down our lives for our brothers. What are some ways we can tangibly practice this? More than that, how can we develop a sacrificial-loving instinct? Compared to the rest of the world (and the rest of history), we are a very wealthy people. If part of love is meeting others’ needs, what does it look like for us to practice sacrificial love in a country with such affluence?
What can it look like in our church? In our city?
PRAYER HUDDLES & APPRENTICES Model | A great way to model the love of Christ to those you disciple is to serve them. Look for and create opportunities to cook meals for them, clean up after them, invite them into your home, assist them with something, or give them thoughtful gifts. Experience | Encourage your CG to pray throughout this week for more loving, generous hearts. Then challenge them to look for ways to love others in the body of Christ by meeting a need, giving, serving, and encouraging. Debrief | Discuss how this affected each of you in huddles. Encourage your disciples to pray for an instinct of love (that acts regularly and creatively), rather than a “program” of love (that acts when expected to).
www.citychurchgnv.com · ©2014 Ryan Harding and City Church
