What matters most?

Thanks for hanging out at my blog. This is the message I presented Wednesday 4-11-07. I've asked anyone who listens to give me some feedback on how they are deciding to improve in the areas of loving others.

Here's my notes. Now I'd like to here your story of how you are loving others.

Thanks

Pd



Love.

What Matter’s Most?

Doug and Conor - 4/11/07

Intro: Story about unconditional Love.
(Missy play song – What’s love got to do with it? Tina Turner)



I. Why Love? Because He first Loved us. I John 4:7-11
a. Often a failure to love others comes from a lack of focus on God’s love for us.
b. Gen. 2:18 It is not good for man to be alone…We are created for love. Ted Cozinsky – Cal Berkeley

1 John 3:16-19 (MsgB)
This is how we've come to understand and experience love: Christ sacrificed his life for us. This is why we ought to live sacrificially for our fellow believers, and not just be out for ourselves. [17] If you see some brother or sister in need and have the means to do something about it but turn a cold shoulder and do nothing, what happens to God's love? It disappears. And you made it disappear.
[18] My dear children, let's not just talk about love; let's practice real love. [19] This is the only way we'll know we're living truly, living in God's reality.

We choose Love. We choose Love. Sometimes we don’t realize it but we do choose love. It doesn’t come natural.

Love is an act of our Will.

I John 4:11. Since God first loved us, we should love others.




II. How Love? Sacrificial - Cost you something. Time/ patience.
i. John 13:34-35-All Rabbi’s had disciples, Jesus’ would be set apart because they would love one another, and promote one another before themselves.
ii. John 13:4-14 (MsgB)
So he got up from the supper table, set aside his robe, and put on an apron. [5] Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the feet of the disciples, drying them with his apron. [6] When he got to Simon Peter, Peter said, "Master, you wash my feet?"
[7] Jesus answered, "You don't understand now what I'm doing, but it will be clear enough to you later."
[8] Peter persisted, "You're not going to wash my feet—ever!"
Jesus said, "If I don't wash you, you can't be part of what I'm doing."
[9] "Master!" said Peter. "Not only my feet, then. Wash my hands! Wash my head!"
[10] Jesus said, "If you've had a bath in the morning, you only need your feet washed now and you're clean from head to toe. My concern, you understand, is holiness, not hygiene. So now you're clean. But not every one of you." [11] (He knew who was betraying him. That's why he said, "Not every one of you.") [12] After he had finished washing their feet, he took his robe, put it back on, and went back to his place at the table.
Then he said, "Do you understand what I have done to you? [13] You address me as 'Teacher' and 'Master,' and rightly so. That is what I am. [14] So if I, the Master and Teacher, washed your feet, you must now wash each other's feet.




III. Results of Love. What happens when we love like Christ? I Peter 1:22-23
a. Lift Weights - Strengthened/removal of corruption and corruptibility. Purity Proverbs 30:5
b. People are drawn to us like a magnet, crowds following Jesus because the message he preached was that of love not of condemnation. -Matthew 16:14-16(people were drawn to Jesus not because he was the Christ, they didn’t know he was, they were drawn to him because he preached a gospel of love.)
1. Removal of lust, gossip, dirty talk, self interest, greed…
2. Our tongue has better uses, thanksgiving to God, and encouraging one another.

IV. Sincere Love: Altar: Love must be sincere.
a. Romans 12:9-10 (MsgB)
Love from the center of who you are; don't fake it. Run for dear life from evil; hold on for dear life to good. [10] Be good friends who love deeply; practice playing second fiddle.

Many of us struggle more on what we get out of a relationship rather than what we give to the relationship.

• God’s love FOR us gives us the reason to love others.
• God’s love IN us gives us the ability to love others.
• God’s love THROUGH us gives us the way to love others.

We know that we have really experienced God’s love when we can begin to love others genuinely.

Sincere.





Handout that says I’m committed to a life of Love.








What Matters Most? Love . . . .
I’m committed to loving people in these ways:
At home:
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
At school:
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________At Church: (Oxygen/forward Motion)
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
Pastor Doug’s feedback blog is at oxygen.cc/doug.html


What Matters Most? Love . . . .
I’m committed to loving people in these ways:
At home:
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
At school:
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________At Church: (Oxygen/forward Motion)
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
Pastor Doug’s feedback blog is at oxygen.cc/doug.html