Loving God (and Others)

The Neighborhood Church

What if we prayed a really, really big prayer? Would we be prepared to partner with God if and when he answers it? In this message we offer this big prayer: "God, help us to become the most loving church in Garland." How might we prepare and practice living out the kind of love God calls us to? We explore some answers in 1 John with a couple big ideas and 2 shapes to help us envision the kind of love that can transform us and our city. NOTES -- // SCRIPTURE FOCUS -- 1 John 4.7-12 How do we pray and partner with God to become the most loving church in Garland? // BIG IDEA 1 -- We stay connected to the Source of Love // Love is the litmus test of Christianity. If you say you love an unseen but don't love your neighbor you can see, how can we say we're connected to God and his love? // Love is God's being. Love is God's activity. God show us love so that we'd know it and show it. // SHAPE 1 -- The Circle of Love // BIG IDEA 2 -- We love like God loves: with sacrificial action. // It's easy to love the folks who like us and are like us. But cross-shaped, kingdom-like love is rooted in and looks like God's sacrificial, self-giving, boundary-crossing love. // The love of God is working in you when the love of neighbor is flowing out of you. // SHAPE 2 -- The Love Triangle // A step toward God leads to a step toward neighbor. // Selfish love asks, "What can I get?" Self-giving love asks, "What can I give?"