Session 7: Leader's Guide
Session 7: Love your Neighbor as Yourself
Key Point: The love I express for others is a result of the love relationship I have with God
- subpoint: Jesus calls us to love others as He loved us, sacrificially
- subpoint: Loving people sacrificially means not expecting anything in return for the love I demonstrate
Leader notes:
- Have 1 member of each group share a spiritual marker
- Ask students if God has revealed someone they can invest in
- Ask if students have something to share about how God has allowed them to invest in someone’s life
- If no one has anything to share continue to encourage them tell them it’s ok but to continue persevering in prayer
- Run through memory verses from previous weeks/and explanation
Review
Names of people God is giving you an opportunity to invest in
1. ______________________________
2. ______________________________
3. ______________________________
In your own words explain what three things that people learn when they communicate.
(Hint: Natural World, Person with whom you communicate, self)
Relate how the three things you learn in communication affect your relationship with God.
How does practice in explaining scripture and sharing spiritual markers relate to 1 Peter 3:15?
What are 4 reason why God communicates to us?
1. Revelation about ________________.
2. ___________________ of His will
3. ____________________ of New Direction/Preparation
4. ____________________ of Sin.
What are three ways God speaks to us?
1.
2.
3.
How would you summarize and explain John 8:31-32 in one phrase or sentence?
Introduction:
As we learned in the previous session, the relationship that we have with God and our love for Him affect every area of our lives. This is especially true in our relationships. The command to love God is always followed with a command to love others. Our love for others is a sign of our obedience and love for God. The nation of Israel, God’s chosen people, carried a mark that served as a sign of God’s relationship with them. This distinction was also supposed to serve as a light to the other people of the world directing the nations to the one true God. This is true for God’s people today. We will explore how our love for others is tied into our relationship with God and how it serves as a beacon to draw the lost into relationship with Jesus.
LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF
Read Matthew 22:37-40
What does Jesus say is the second greatest commandment?
How is the second commandment like the first? (v. 39)
If this is the second greatest command, is it important to know it? Why? (v40)
Read Leviticus 19: 11-18
*Leader notes-Jump to the reflective application questions
What is the purpose of v. 11-16 before introducing v. 17-18?
Why are we to love our neighbors as ourselves? (v18)
*Reflective Application Questions
1. How does showing love for others show love for God?
2. What does it mean to love your neighbor as yourself?
3. How can you love the “neighbors” in your small group?
4. What does it mean to show love for others at Church? In your campus ministry?
5. How can you show love for others in your church?
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*Supplemental Reading: Luke 10:25-37
THE MARK OF GOD’S PEOPLE
When God established his covenant with Abram, changing his name to Abraham, God said that the mark of his covenant with Abraham and his descendants would be circumcision. God’s chosen people; the people that were under the covenant of God would be marked by circumcision. As followers of Jesus, the people of God we too are marked, the mark of the Church, God’s people is love. Our relationship with God makes the mark of love possible. God is the author of the covenant. His covenant is a promise that carries stipulations. In Abraham’s case the promise of God was that Abraham and his descendants would be recipients of God’s blessing. God would make Abraham the “father of many nations.” The stipulations of God’s covenant with Abraham were that he and all of his descendants would be circumcised. For the Church, God’s people, the covenant God has established with us is found in Jesus Christ. God promises us eternal life for those who are under the covenant and blood of Jesus. The sign of being under the covenant is love for one another.
An important thing to understand is that the blessings of God, his fulfillment of the promise, isn’t something that can be earned. We don’t love others to earn God’s love. Love for others comes as
a response to God’s love for us. *Split into groups to go over passages(10min)
Read John 13:34-35
Leader Notes:
Let the students come up with their own questions and points. Try to divide out the remaining practice passages for the session amongst the group then allow them to share what they find for exploratory questions and key points. Remember that the exploratory questions are questions asked to help bring clarity to the text. Exploratory questions are not reflective or application questions.
Exploratory Questions
1. Who is Jesus talking to in chapter 13?
2. What is the command Jesus gives in verse 34?
3. In what context do we find Jesus giving this command?
4. What does Jesus say will be a sign of His disciples?
5. Why are Jesus disciples supposed to love one another?
6. Whose example is supposed to be followed John 13?
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Key Points
· Jesus commands his disciples to love one another
· Jesus says to follow his example of love
· Jesus gives the sign of who is his disciple in the context of revealing that one of the disciples will betray him.
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Reflective Questions
1. Am I obedient to Jesus command to love others?
2. Am I following Jesus example in loving others?
3. What does it mean to “love others as I have loved you?”
4. Would people know I’m a follower of Jesus by how I treat others?
5. Am I a disciple of Jesus according to the definition in John 13:35?
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REFLECTIVE DISCUSSION
1 John 3
Exploratory Questions
1. What does John 3 say is a sign of God’s great love for followers of Jesus?(v1)
2. According to verse 2 who are we supposed to be like?
3. When does it say that we will be like Him?
4. How are we supposed to be purified?
5. What is the reason why Jesus came according to verse 5?
6. What is the meaning of verse 6?
7. What do we infer about the nature of sin according to verse 8-9?
8. What is the sign of those who are of God? What is the sign of those who are not of God?
9. How do we know that God’s love abides in us? (v. 14-19)
10. According to verses 23-24 who abides in Christ?
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Key Points
· God shows his love for us in calling us His children
· We are supposed to be like Jesus
· We will not be fully sanctified/like Jesus until we die and are reunited with Jesus
· We are purified by setting our hope in Jesus Christ
· Jesus Christ is the one that purifies us
· Jesus is the one that destroys the sin in our lives
· Followers of Jesus do not practice sin because they are working to fight against sin with Jesus Christ.
· The love of God is made manifest in us by how we treat our other believers
· The one who believes in Jesus and loves others is the one who abides in Christ
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Reflective Discussion Questions
1. What does it mean to be a “child” of God?
2. How do i keep my “hope” fixed on Jesus?
3. What am I hoping for?
4. If I sin does that mean that I’m not in Jesus?
5. Am I a child of the devil or a child of God?
6. Am I willing to follow the example of Christ in love? (v16)
7. What does it mean to love in deed and truth?
8. Do I love in deed and truth?
9. Am I living according to the commands laid out in verse 23?
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Read James 1:16-18
1. How do we express thankfulness to God?
2. How does an attitude of thankfulness affect our relationship with God? Others?
GOD THE GIVER OF ALL GOOD GIFTS
God tells us in James 1 that He is the giver of all good gifts. Everything that we have in life is a gift from God. A gift of God that is often overlooked is the gift of relationships. The relationships that we have with people are gifts from God. If we take the time to examine the relationships that we currently have one thing we must recognize is that these relationships are things that we’ve not always had nor are they things that we will always have. The relationships that we have are people who play important roles in our lives for a designated amount of time. We won’t always be children, so the relationships we have with our parents are an area of stewardship. We won’t always be brothers or sisters so the relationships we have with our siblings are areas of stewardship.
Read Ecclesiastes 3:1-14
Exploratory Questions
1. What is the point of telling us there are different times for different things?
2. Are the “times” listed in this passage the “only” times that we will experience in life?
3. What does v.10 mean in saying God has laid burden on the human race?
4. What is the significance of knowing that God has set eternity in the human heart?
5. What can we infer about God’s desires for us from v. 12?
6. What is the gift of God?
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Key Points
· Everything in life is for an appointed time
· The circumstances of life don’t last forever
· Every season of life is a gift from God
· God wants people to experience life to the fullest
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*John 10:10- How does knowing that there are season in life help me live life more abundantly
Reflective Discussion Questions
1. How are you being a good steward of the “times” in your life?
2. Do you hold on to the hope that the “hard” times of your life will pass?
3. Do you fully enjoy the “good” times knowing that they are only temporary?
Do you take time to thank God for each of the “gifts” He gives?
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*How are we using our time and resources to better love God and the people in our lives?
*Share a story of squandered opportunity to love God or people with our time and resources. Communicate the urgency of being aware of the gifts God has given us so we can be more thankful in how we approach the Lord and be better stewards of what God has given us. (Story of Aileen)
THE HABIT OF REFLECTION
Throughout scripture God commands His people to “remember.” Bringing to remembrance or memory is an important scriptural theme throughout all of scripture. We use this term applied to both God and His people.
Read Joshua 4:20-24 and Genesis 9:12-17
1. What are the reminders/stories you have of past experiences with God?
2. What aspects of God’s personality/character have you had experience with?(i.e. provider, protector, healer, mercy, forgiveness)
3. What parts of God’s character are you not familiar with or had less experience with? Have you had the opportunity to experience those parts of God’s personality? Why do you think you haven’t had those experiences with God?
REFLECTION THE HABIT OF GROWTH
The practice of remembering or reflecting on the transforming work God has and is doing in our lives is an important Christian practice. We are commanded to remember and hold up God’s past work as a testimony to all creation so that God will be glorified. Reflecting on where we are in life and being aware of our areas of stewardship allow us to intentionally manage God’s gifts better.
*Leader note:
Followers of Jesus have fresh and ongoing relational experiences with Jesus. If we aren’t having new and fresh experiences with Jesus there may be something wrong in our relationship. A lack of relational experiences and revelation from God serves as an indicator of our relational health with God. Use a relational example like a dating or marriage relationship. If there is no interaction between spouses the quality of the relationship isn’t very good. The same is true in our relationship with God. In a dating relationship the contrast maybe even more stark because if we say we are in a relationship with someone but only interact with them occasionally such as when we need something and the level of our interaction is superficial facebook comments then we really might not be in a relationship. The same is true in our relationship with God.
Activity
- Start a journal
- Make a list of all the things you can thank God for every day for 1 week
- Record 1 thing God you’ve experienced in your relationship with God everyday for 1 week(this can be a revelation from God’s Word, a conversation, or another experience)
John 13:34-35(Memory Verse)
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples if you have love for one another. “
Session Summary
Being a follower of Jesus is all about a relationship with Him, but our relationship with Jesus has an effect on every area of our life. We can’t claim to truly love God if we do not love the people that are important to Him. God desires everyone to come into relationship with Him by turning toward Him and responding to His love with obedience. Jesus tells us that the mark of His disciples is sacrificial love demonstrated for each other. The evidence of our relationship with Jesus comes in the fruit we produce and the fruit we produce shows up in the context of our relationships with other people.
Before the next Session
Check when completed
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Activity
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Read Luke 10:25-37
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Prepare questions to help someone understand the parable of the Good Samaritan
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Find one person to share what you understand about the parable
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Try doing a spiritual journal for 1 week
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Prepare to share 1 of your spiritual markers next week
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Work on memorizing John 13:34-35
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Review all of the previous week's memory verses
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Continue assembling SERVE Profile(vocational skills, leadership assessment)
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Ask God to reveal 3 people He’s brought into your life to invest in
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Pray for Clan Group
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