Love for a Lifetime Discussion Day 3

Good Morning!

Day 3

“So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other.” (John 13:34). Can you hear Jesus saying these words to us today, compelling us to rise above our own feelings, our own thoughts and just obey Jesus? These are the words that Jesus spoke to Peter after Jesus had washed his feet and right before Peter would betray Him. Can you imagine loving someone beyond your own feelings of hurt and betrayal? It’s tough! It’s downright hard, but it is doable! Just like Jesus knew that Peter would betray him, He also knew that Peter would one day preach the Gospel and 3,000 people would be saved.

Today, let’s focus on extending to others the same love that Christ has extended towards us. Let’s choose to look beyond what we can see in the natural, and believe what God has promised in the spiritual. Let’s choose to speak words of life and not be quick to respond with criticism and fault finding. Let’s choose to forgive and release blaming those we love instead of bringing up the past. After all, we’ve all messed up…gotten it wrong…and Jesus has still chosen to love us…let us now do the same.

Research -- John 13

Relate – Recall how Jesus has loved you in spite of you? How willing are you to let it go and love?

Respond – Choose to speak words of life to someone you love today.

Reflect – Where have you let your feelings of hurt and betrayal keep you from loving as Jesus did? Will the recalling of your love be the impetus for someone else to do better?

Discussion Question – Why is it that we want Jesus to love us with reckless abandon and we find it challenging to extend that same love to others?