Here is the section we will be going over. If you stick with us, you will easily have all these memorized in a month or two!
1 Corinthians 13:
4 Love is patient, love is kind, and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant,
5 does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered,
6 does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth;
7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8a Love never fails;
In the Greek, there are three different words for love: Agape (unconditional love), Eros (Sexual love) and Phileo (brotherly love). In this passage, the word that is used is agape.
Discussion Questions:
In a few days we will start with the first phrase “Love is Patient” but until then I would love to get your general comments or questions on:
How would you describe / define agape love?
How have you seen it demonstrated?
Shortlink: http://wp.me/pFhp5-D
November 30, 2010 at 12:04 am |
Our human love is usually:
I love you because:
you’re beautiful
you’re smart
you make help me in some way
OR
I love you if:
you love me back
you meet my needs
In other words there conditions to our love. God loves us. (period)
My greatest love condition is I love you if don’t mistreat me or because you show me respect.
November 30, 2010 at 2:28 am |
agape love….that’s the kind Dave & Lisa have always shown toward Janet & I… /;>]
It seems like it comes out of our relationship w/ Jesus. My natural self does not consider others more important than myself. I can only consider others more important, love them unconditionally, as Jesus transforms me to be more like Himself by His Spirit working in & through me. Or as John the baptist said..”He must increase & I must decrease”. I can only abandon my self interest as I trust Christ to care for me & my needs. As I grow in confidence of His love for me I am free to give all to others, including my feelings & rights, because I don’t need to have man’s approval or attention…as I am content w/ Christ’s.
November 30, 2010 at 5:13 am |
Paul,
Thank you for your comment. It’s all so much of what I have been reading, getting taught, discussing with my roommates, and thinking about lately. This part especially I have recently been reminding myself: “…as Jesus transforms me to be more like Himself by His Spirit working in & through me.” I have so much growing to do, and it can be so daunting, but then I remember that it’s Jesus who will change me into the woman He wants us to be, not me changing myself. What a freeing thought that is!
Love and miss your family tons, especially on Thanksgiving
November 30, 2010 at 3:01 am |
It will be fun to hear what people have to say about these verses!
November 30, 2010 at 5:02 am |
These few days since Dad read these verses to us on Thanksgiving, I’m pretty sure I have thought about this verse at least once every day. Each time I haven’t gotten past the first statement: Love is patient. This is a big struggle for me. (I know Mom is nodding her head up-and-down right now. Stop it….) I realize this, and I keep failing. But now, each time I start to lose my patience, I remember. “Love is patient.” Jesus has every human reason to be perpetually impatient with us, but instead He sees past every one of our faults, and He loves us with a crazy love. I want to love like that.
November 30, 2010 at 5:46 pm |
Laurel, I believe the biggest thing we will get out of this Love Challenge as we meditate on each individual phase of these verses is discovering how much God loves us and learning how to be more like Him.
December 2, 2010 at 9:09 pm |
Thanks for putting this together. I’m really, REALLY struggling (as Mom knows) with understanding how much the Lord loves me. As a result, I feel that I lack in love towards myself and towards other people. I’m excited to take this Love Challenge. I’ve also begun to read the Bible for five minutes each day. It’s been helping me this week to have the smallest of quiet times…its helpful to just get back into it. Feeling like a new Christian as experiencing this little crisis of faith.
December 7, 2010 at 6:17 am |
hmmm. I may just enjoy reading what you all have to say …LOL- I miss all of you! Chris & I will be going on 10 years on the 16th. I can still remember Dave & Lisa, your example to me while you were an active part of our lives. Although we have gone our separate ways & the kids have grown & our kids are having kids.. I always remember the unconditional “love” you gave this wild single parent & her daughter so long ago…
When I saw this, I thought yeah, great idea Dave. BUT now after reading the posts & the verses.. I am thinking this may be JUST WHAT WE NEED to make it through the next 10 yrs. Thanks Dave, as always for the encouragement… Love is patient… hmmmm… I struggle with that one daily..hourly…