FLBC Community Group Discussion Guide LOVE IS
FLBC Community Group Discussion Guide March 25, 2018 Session #7
“Love Is…,” Series A 7-week series on loving God and others from 1 Cor. 13.
Series Time Frame: February 11---March 18, 2018 Key Verse for Series: John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
LOVE IS RESPECTFUL! Sermon Verses: 1 Corinthians 13:5 “Love is not rude, it is not self-serving,” (NET) Luke 7:36-48 “Now one of the Pharisees was requesting Him to dine with him, and He entered the Pharisee's house and reclined at the table. 37 And there was a woman in the city who was a sinner; and when she learned that He was reclining at the table in the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster vial of perfume, 38 and standing behind Him at His feet, weeping, she began to wet His feet with her tears, and kept wiping them with the hair of her head, and kissing His feet and anointing them with the perfume. 39 Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet He would know who and what sort of person this woman is who is touching Him, that she is a sinner." 40 And Jesus answered him, "Simon, I have something to say to you." And he replied, "Say it, Teacher." 41 "A moneylender had two debtors: one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 "When they were unable to repay, he graciously forgave them both. So which of them will love him more?" 43 Simon answered and said, "I suppose the one whom he forgave more." And He said to him, "You have judged correctly." 44 Turning toward the woman, He said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has wet My feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 "You gave Me no kiss; but she, since the time I came in, has not ceased to kiss My feet. 46 "You did not anoint My head with oil, but she anointed My feet with perfume. 47 "For this reason I say to you, her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little." 48 Then He said to her, "Your sins have been forgiven."
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Sermon Summary: One of the values that children are taught early on is to respect others. Respect is a product of valuing others the way God values us, and we reflect God’s love when we value and honor others. In the passage above, Jesus was dining at the home of a Pharisee named Simon. Simon asked Jesus to dinner, not out of respect, but to investigate Jesus in hopes of trapping him in some mistake and discrediting his ministry. During the meal, a woman showed great respect for Jesus by anointing him with expensive perfume. Because she had come to know the love and forgiveness of Christ, she gladly gave him the best gift that she could. Simon criticized Jesus for receiving the gift, but Christ used her gift to teach Simon some lessons about loving others and showing them the respect they are due.
Discussion Questions: 1. One of the ways to show respect is to listen. The woman didn’t say a word that day as she wept before Jesus and poured out the contents of her alabaster box, but Jesus was very attentive to her actions and her attitude. How attentive are you to others? How can you better show respect by being a better listener? 2. By all indications, this woman had lived the life of a prostitute. Her relationships with men were a string of broken promises that led her to a broken life. Jesus corrected her path that day by promising to forgive her sins, which meant he had to go to the cross to pay for her sins. Jesus delivered on his promises. How can keeping our promises to others help them respect us? How can breaking promises hurt relationships? 3. Respecting others opens your heart to give to them something of value. Simon gave nothing to Jesus that day. In contrast, the prostitute gave Jesus a very expensive gift: perfume that probably represented her life’s savings. She gave the best she had---and all she had---to Jesus. God still deserves our best and our all today. In what ways are we tempted to give God less than our best? When we give God less than our best, what does that say about us? 4. Spend some time in prayer with your group as we consider: A. Our next Big Day on Easter next Sunday and the opportunities we have this week to invite others to worship with us. B. The joint Bible Study and Worship planned with Holt Baptist Church at FLBC on Sunday, April 15th. C. The Spring Fling at University Place Schools on Saturday, April 21st. D. The upcoming vote on the Merger Plan for Holt Baptist Church and FLBC on Sunday, April 22nd.
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“Love Is…,” Series A 7-week series on loving God and others from 1 Cor. 13.
Series Time Frame: February 11---March 18, 2018 Key Verse for Series: John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
LOVE IS RESPECTFUL! Sermon Verses: 1 Corinthians 13:5 “Love is not rude, it is not self-serving,” (NET) Luke 7:36-48 “Now one of the Pharisees was requesting Him to dine with him, and He entered the Pharisee's house and reclined at the table. 37 And there was a woman in the city who was a sinner; and when she learned that He was reclining at the table in the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster vial of perfume, 38 and standing behind Him at His feet, weeping, she began to wet His feet with her tears, and kept wiping them with the hair of her head, and kissing His feet and anointing them with the perfume. 39 Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet He would know who and what sort of person this woman is who is touching Him, that she is a sinner." 40 And Jesus answered him, "Simon, I have something to say to you." And he replied, "Say it, Teacher." 41 "A moneylender had two debtors: one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 "When they were unable to repay, he graciously forgave them both. So which of them will love him more?" 43 Simon answered and said, "I suppose the one whom he forgave more." And He said to him, "You have judged correctly." 44 Turning toward the woman, He said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has wet My feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 "You gave Me no kiss; but she, since the time I came in, has not ceased to kiss My feet. 46 "You did not anoint My head with oil, but she anointed My feet with perfume. 47 "For this reason I say to you, her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little." 48 Then He said to her, "Your sins have been forgiven."
1
Sermon Summary: One of the values that children are taught early on is to respect others. Respect is a product of valuing others the way God values us, and we reflect God’s love when we value and honor others. In the passage above, Jesus was dining at the home of a Pharisee named Simon. Simon asked Jesus to dinner, not out of respect, but to investigate Jesus in hopes of trapping him in some mistake and discrediting his ministry. During the meal, a woman showed great respect for Jesus by anointing him with expensive perfume. Because she had come to know the love and forgiveness of Christ, she gladly gave him the best gift that she could. Simon criticized Jesus for receiving the gift, but Christ used her gift to teach Simon some lessons about loving others and showing them the respect they are due.
Discussion Questions: 1. One of the ways to show respect is to listen. The woman didn’t say a word that day as she wept before Jesus and poured out the contents of her alabaster box, but Jesus was very attentive to her actions and her attitude. How attentive are you to others? How can you better show respect by being a better listener? 2. By all indications, this woman had lived the life of a prostitute. Her relationships with men were a string of broken promises that led her to a broken life. Jesus corrected her path that day by promising to forgive her sins, which meant he had to go to the cross to pay for her sins. Jesus delivered on his promises. How can keeping our promises to others help them respect us? How can breaking promises hurt relationships? 3. Respecting others opens your heart to give to them something of value. Simon gave nothing to Jesus that day. In contrast, the prostitute gave Jesus a very expensive gift: perfume that probably represented her life’s savings. She gave the best she had---and all she had---to Jesus. God still deserves our best and our all today. In what ways are we tempted to give God less than our best? When we give God less than our best, what does that say about us? 4. Spend some time in prayer with your group as we consider: A. Our next Big Day on Easter next Sunday and the opportunities we have this week to invite others to worship with us. B. The joint Bible Study and Worship planned with Holt Baptist Church at FLBC on Sunday, April 15th. C. The Spring Fling at University Place Schools on Saturday, April 21st. D. The upcoming vote on the Merger Plan for Holt Baptist Church and FLBC on Sunday, April 22nd.
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