Active Love

By Steve Bains, September 26, 2021

Neighbourliness as an Expression of Love

Our Greatest Purpose: Knowing and Living Out God’s Love 1 John 4:16 states, “God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.”

Gracepoint Panel:

We are created, chosen, equipped, and commissioned to love, through actions that bless them.

• B- Begin with prayer. Ask, ‘God how do you want me to bless the people in the places you’ve sent me to?’

• L- Listen. Don’t talk, but listen to people, their struggles, their pains, in the places God has sent or placed you.

• E- Eat. You can’t just check this off. It’s not quick. You have to a have a meal with people or a cup of coffee. It builds relationships. 21 meals during the week and coffee to plug people in.

• S- Serve. If you listen with people and you eat with people, they will tell you how to love them and you’ll know how to serve them.

• S- Story. When the time is right, now we talk, and we share the story of how Jesus changed our life.

Also see resource on GP App in the “more” section called "Natural Ways To Connect"

Examining Our Hearts

  1. Seek God’s Heart For Others
  2. Keep Our Eyes and Ears Open

Questions for Discipleship Groups

Since both Cathy and Heather are introverts, would did you think of their risk to connect with neighbours? Why do you think they did it? What God given skills and passion did they employ to live out their love for others?

What do you think God has placed you in the universe?
(Ecclesiastes 12:13, 1 John 4:16; 1 Cor. 10:31)

Share a time when you knew God was operating through you to bless someone? How did that feel? Do you feel most alive when you are loved, or loving others?

Read Luke 10:25-37

Though he has religious knowledge, what is the lawyer of religion missing according to Jesus?

What do you think is getting in his way of doing love?

Did anything the panelists say spark you to want to participate in active love?

Is the B.L.E.S.S. method to help you to love actively:

• B- Begin with prayer. Ask, ‘God how do you want me to bless the people in the places you’ve sent me to?’

• L- Listen. Don’t talk, but listen to people, their struggles, their pains, in the places God has sent or placed you.

• E- Eat. You can’t just check this off. It’s not quick. You have to a have a meal with people or a cup of coffee. It builds relationships. 21 meals during the week and coffee to plug people in.

• S- Serve. If you listen with people and you eat with people, they will tell you how to love them and you’ll know how to serve them.

• S- Story. When the time is right, now we talk, and we share the story of how Jesus changed our life. bout 30 ways to connect for further ideas.

What is one thing you can do to actively love others according to your gifting, and personality style?

Also see resource on GP App in the “more” section called "Natural Ways To Connect"

Examining Our Hearts:

  1. Seek God’s Heart For Others
  2. Keep Our Eyes and Ears Open