1 John 4:7-21

1 John 3:1 

God loves you. You are loved.

If we know God’s love we will show God’s love. (1 John 4:7, 11)

Real Love SURRENDERS (1 John 4:9)

Real Love SACRIFICES (1 John 3:16) 

Real Love STRETCHES (Matthew 5:43-45)

Real Love SPEAKS. (1 John 4:14) 

Real Love SERVES. (1 John 3:17)

Real Love STAYS (1 John 4:13) 

We can live fearlessly in Jesus’ love. (1 John 4:18)

Question: Are there relationships where you’ve allowed fear to limit your love?

Challenge: What is one step you can take to move beyond fear and show them God’s love?

Going Deeper Questions

Ice Breaker Question: Have you ever been repelling? What do you think is (or would be) the scariest part of the experience?

God loves you. You are loved. When are the times you are most confident in God’s love for you?   When do you struggle to really believe it? 

If we know God’s love we will show God’s love. 1 John 4:11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

The following statement sums up some key aspects of real love:

Real Love SURRENDERS to God’s will, SACRIFICES for others’ sake, STRETCHES when things are difficult, SPEAKS the truth in a loving way, SERVES when others are in need, STAYS or remains faithful despite the challenges.

Which aspect is the easiest for to live out? Which one is the hardest?

We can live fearlessly in Jesus’ love.

1 John 4:18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. 

Are there relationships where you’ve allowed fear to limit your love Who are they? What happened? What fear is holding you back? 

Prayer – Pray for a heart that fearlessly loves others, and for courage to take the next step in any relationship where fear has limited your love for someone.

What is one step you can take to move beyond fear and show them God’s love?