Work Crew Talk: LOVE ONE ANOTHER

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Instructions: Teach about how God designed us to be loved, to love others, and that through this love, people will be drawn to Him. Use personal stories and give lots of examples. Hit the main point over and over. Assign scripture out before starting and instead of reading them, have the WC read them. End by sending work crew off into small groups to answer questions together.

CONTROLLING THOUGHT: We ought to love one another. Based on John 13:34-35. 

"So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. 

Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. 

Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples."

INTRODUCTION

A little bit about me is that I didn't know Christ until my last semester of college, when I was 22. Every time I was told or shown the Word was a seed planted and many were along the way. Sometimes, however, I would experience what the "opposite" of love is by someone who claimed to know Christ, and their lack of love so nullified whatever seed God might have given them to plant. One example of this was a roommate I had in college my freshman year we'll call "A." "A" became a fast friend and it was easy to see why anyone would be drawn into friendship with her. She was cool, fun, friendly, smart, etc...but I saw a different side of her when she got angry with me one night. She went through our dorm hall and lied to each girl, telling them I had done something I had not. When I came back, every girl had turned against me and "A" had poured alcohol on my bed, ripped up my pictures, thrown my dirty laundry into the hallway, and told the Resident Director I was providing booze to all the kids in the dorm. I came to find out later she was even going through training at the time to become a leader. If there was any chance of her showing me who Christ was through her love, it had long passed through her actions. When it actually came time in my heart to begin asking questions about Christ and seeking to know Him, the people I knew I could go to for such a thing were those who I knew were 1) concerned about the things of God and 2) had loved me. "A" did not fall into this list.

Transition: The love we have for others is a sign to us of our "status" with God. 1 John 3:14 says, "We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love each other. Anyone who does not love remains in death."

POINT 1 - 

• Even just our ability to love others comes from a deep understanding of our own "status" as being loved by God. 

1 John 4:19. "We love because God first loved us." One of the things that happens when we know we are loved by God is that we are compelled to love others. 2 Corinthians 5:14. "For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died." Ansley misunderstood her own "status" as an utterly depraved sinner, deserving only of death, but saved and fully loved beyond her own comprehension, placed into the family of God. When we operate out of the understanding that we are redeemed and we are loved by God, we naturally pour out love on others. When we operate in our old mindset of not knowing God, we try to perform, hold grudges, justify our behaviors, etc etc. But love isn't always just a natural outpouring for us, it's also something we have to be mindful of.

• Love is intentional. It's doesn't always just happen "on accident."

God intentionally loved us when He sent His only beloved Son, Jesus, to die on the cross for us. 

Give an example: Thinking of your family at home, what's an example of a way you find it easy and natural to love? What's an example of a way you have to intentionally love your family?

 

Transition: There is a reason why we are designed to love one another...I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— ²³ I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. (John 17:22-23)...because by doing so, we show Jesus.

 

POINT 2 - 

•  We live as God designed us to when we love one another!

When we do, others see God through that love. The invisible God literally becomes visible through our love for one another. Just like people say they can "see" God by looking at nature or by being in nature (seeing the beauty of a sunset, the perspective from a mountaintop, the mystery of the depth in a forest, etc), people can likewise "see" God by looking at humans when they function as they are designed and are loving one another. When we love one another, people can literally see God. The good news of Jesus is told when we love one another.

What are some ways we are meant to love one another? After each, brainstorm what the opposite of each would be.

1. Colossians 3:13-14. "Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. ¹⁴ And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity." Forgiving. Opposite: hold a grudge, don't forgive.
2.  1 Corinthians 13:4-8. "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵ It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. ⁸ Love never fails." Patience. Kindness. Humility. Respectful. Selfless. Slow to anger. Gracious. Loving good. Protective. Trusting. Hopeful. Consistent. Opposite: various.
3. 1 Thessalonians 5:15. "See that no one pays back evil for evil, but always try to do good to each other and to all people." Not taking justice into our own hands. Opposite: Revenge.
4. Romans 15:5-6. "May God, who gives this patience and encouragement, help you live in complete harmony with each other, as is fitting for followers of Christ Jesus. Then all of you can join together with one voice, giving praise and glory to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." Patience. Encouragement. Opposite: Quick-tempered, withholding encouragement or discouraging.

• When we love one another, it becomes a refreshing thing that God blesses.

Read Psalm 133.

^1-3 How wonderful, how beautiful,
    when brothers and sisters get along!
It’s like costly anointing oil
    flowing down head and beard,
Flowing down Aaron’s beard,
    flowing down the collar of his priestly robes.
It’s like the dew on Mount Hermon
    flowing down the slopes of Zion.
Yes, that’s where God commands the blessing,

ordains eternal life.

What is it like to God when we love one another? So refreshing! He actually blesses it. Because having unity and love for one another is so important to God, it makes sense why Jesus reiterated the words of the law given to Moses in Mark 12:30-31. "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”

POINT 3 - 

• Love is not always easy, but it's worth it.  

Even driven by the knowledge that others will see God by our love for another, there are still many obstacles we will face in trying to love others. We can all think of examples when love was absent or when it was hard to "do." 

Is loving hard? Romans 12:3. "Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don't think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us." --- The fact that we must take an honest look at ourselves can make loving others hard. Don't think of yourself as better than anyone else. There's not point for it. Does God love you more than the next person? No and if you think He does, you need to check that. Don't waste time comparing yourself as more or as less to anyone else. Quitting the comparison game can be freeing.

Is loving hard? 1 Kings 11:2. "They were from nations about which the Lord had told the Israelites, 'You must not intermarry with them, because they will surely turn your hearts after their gods.' Nevertheless, Solomon held fast to them in love." --- It can also be hard to love others because we give our love away to things other than God and people. 

Give an example: What are some of those things we can give our love away to that hinders our love for other people through Christ?

• The ability to love at all is a gift from God!
  

We shouldn't take for granted that we can even love at all; it is a gift from God. 2 Timothy 1:7. "For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline." It might not always be such an easy thing, but it's not like carrying a heavy burden on your own. It's an honor and a privilege to even have the capacity to love and you get to lean on Christ in it all.

CONCLUSION/CHALLENGE

We ought to love one another.  

The ability to love others comes from a deep understanding of being loved by God ourselves. And we know that we are able to love because God first loved us (1 John 4:19). Love is intentional; it doesn't always just happen "on accident." God was intentional with loving us when He sent His only Son to die on the cross for us. We can be intentional in loving others sacrificially. 

We live as God designed us to live to the full when we love one another. Because God is seen by His children's love for one another, we can show others who God is by our love for one another. It blesses God and us to the point of being totally refreshed when we love one another (Psalm 133)!

Love is not always easy, but it's always worth it. We shouldn't take for granted that we can love at all; it is a gift from God (2 Timothy 1:7). Let's thank Him for the ability to love and be loved.

Love one another

"So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples." JOHN 13:34-35

SCRIPTURE                                                                 TAKE AWAY FOR LOVING OTHERS

1 JOHN 3:14
1 JOHN 4:19
2 CORINTHIANS 5:14
JOHN 17:22-23
COLOSSIANS 3:13-14
1 CORINTHIANS 13:4-8
1 THESSALONIANS 5:15
ROMANS 15:5-6
PSALM 133
MARK 12:30-31
ROMANS 12:3
1 KINGS 11:2
2 TIMOTHY 1:7

SMALL GROUP QUESTIONS

1. Together, brainstorm specific ways you can intentionally love someone while here on Work Crew (could be anyone!). Perhaps consider what makes them unique. What could you do that would help show them not your love necessarily, but God's love for them? Put that love into action and do it this week!
2. Read 1 Thessalonians 2:8. On Work Crew, you are clearly sharing your lives for the sake of Christ being known through your service! What is a way you already share your life for Christ at home/school? What is a way you would like to share your life that you don't already?
   
3. Name a time God helped you overcome a lack of love for someone by understanding His love for you.
4. Read 1 Samuel 16:7. Talk as a group about what you think this might mean in relation to what we can do to love others. When somebody does something unloving (this could even include yourself), what should you seek to understand better?
5. Pick a loving characteristic that you want more of. You may pick your own or one of the below traits. Share an example of why you would like to have more of this trait. Take time to pray for each person. The key isn't to TRY to do "better," but to ask GOD to transform us into the likeness of His Son, making you more and more like Him everyday. HUMBLE --- COMPASSIONATE --- CARING/KIND --- SYMPATHETIC --- PEACEFUL --- GENEROUS --- GENTLE --- GRACIOUS --- ENCOURAGING --- PATIENT --- RESPECTFUL --- MERCIFUL