God Is – Week 3 – God is Love

God Is….

Discovering the God we worship & reflecting Him.

“…Love”

The reason we are focusing on the these 4 characteristics this month is two-fold:

1. These 4 characteristics of God speak to who are as the of God.
2. More importantly, I believe these are 4 that of us most to hear right now!

• God love (1 John 4:16).
  • If we are to become more God, we must come into close with his love.
• God is out of love (John 3:16-17).
  • Love . God sent his son to us because he loves us!
  • Understand, also, God sent his son to for us because is that bad.

“The gospel is this: We are more sinful and flawed in ourselves than we ever dared believe, yet at the very same time we are more loved and accepted in Jesus Christ than we ever dared hope.” —Tim Keller

• God at you with love (Jeremiah 31:3).
• God for you to love him with you are (Matthew 22:37-40).
• God’s love you to love (1 John 4:19-21, ROMANS 8:14-16).
  • You love if you have never it!
  • But here is the news! God has a way for us become truly part of his and give us a new experience of what “ ought to mean.

4 things to know about adoption in the Roman world:

1. The adopted person is given a brand-new .

2. The old records are completely .

3. The adopted person leaves all and to the old world and all rights as a fully legitimate son or daughter in the new family.

4. The adopted person becomes a legitimate to the father’s estate.—Mark DeJesus, Experiencing God’s Love as Your Father

• • In Christ, you have a new ! And that is as a child of God!
• God’s love out all (1 John 4:16-18)
  • We can love and him as God, but we can not simultaneously him in love and from him in fear. (John Stott)

Reflect:

• Do know God as Love? If not, what might be holding you back?
• If learning to be loved by God is experienced through being loved by others, how are your relationships with other Christians enhancing or detracting from this?
• How can you help others experience the unconditional love of God?
  • Abraham/
  • Jesus and his
  • The
• We are being in God’s image. (2 Cor. 3:18, 4:4)
  • God is re- us in his (i.e., us so we look more like the God we !)

What are the implications for us?

• We are meant for , as well.
• You .
  • You are made in his image.
  • Your connections/relationships matter.
• The other person .
  • If you are made for community, it means the other persons is vital and important…
  • It means that you play a role in helping serve and better the other
• The church (1 Cor. 3:16; Eph. 3:10,11; 3:20, 21)

1 Cor. 3:16 Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?

• • It means for us to learn about God, we need .
  • It means for us to more like the God we worship, we need .
  • It means the church is not an we can pick or choose.
  • It means that if we are the , for us to neglect the fellowship is less than what God has called us to.

4 things to know about adoption in the Roman world:

1. The adopted person is given a brand-new .

2. The old records are completely .

3. The adopted person leaves all and to the old world and all rights as a fully legitimate son or daughter in the new family.

4. The adopted person becomes a legitimate to the father’s estate.—Mark DeJesus, Experiencing God’s Love as Your Father

• • In Christ, you have a new ! And that is as a child of God!
• God’s love out all (1 John 4:16-18)
  • We can love and him as God, but we can not simultaneously him in love and from him in fear. (John Stott)

Reflect:

• Do you know God as Love? If not, what might be holding you back?
• If learning to be loved by God is experienced through being loved by others, how are your relationships with other Christians enhancing or detracting from this?
• How can you help others experience the unconditional love of God?