Sunday, December 10, 2006
Dec. 10th Recap - I John 4:7-21 - Todd M.
Question: Name a famous person that you dislike/get's on your nerves/can't understand?
Answers ranged from Sid Hartman, Bill Clinton, Rosie O'Donnell, Michael Jackson, Robin William post-Mork & Mindy, Politicians in general...
The content:
We then transitioned in to the question of who is someone in our life that is irritating you. We shared in groups of 2 or 3. Needless to say the conversations got a little more lively.
Then we switched gears looking at I John 4:9-11. If verse 9 & 10 are the model of love(sacrifice even if poeple wouldn't have accepted it) and how God showed his love to us then in vs. 11 we are called to love others.
We then took time to list out practical ways to love others. Some of those answers were respect others, pray for them, spend time with people, understand where they are coming from and listen to people and take time to care about what they are saying.
Now, that we had that list let’s look at I John 4:19-21. I have now long stopped using the words hate when it comes to people and I would be willing to bet most of us have as well. But I use kinder words like: I can’t stand them, they drive me nuts, I dislike them, or they sure are irritating…something along those lines. I will lump all those type s of people in our lives as the “disagreeables”
Well, God’s words makes it clear there isn’t much room for whole lot except that we are to show love to people(even disaggreables) using the model he sent to us…I used to say to my youth group kids when they would complain about someone in the group. “I’m not asking you to like anyone, you just have to love them” They never answered me back verbally that I remember but they always had this look on their face, as if they were saying, do you know what you are asking of me? Nothing God hasn’t asked for first.
My final challenge was to think about that person that is irritating you and commit to loving them in one practical way even at the risk that they will not accept you grace and kindness.
See you next week!
-LiFE
Answers ranged from Sid Hartman, Bill Clinton, Rosie O'Donnell, Michael Jackson, Robin William post-Mork & Mindy, Politicians in general...
The content:
We then transitioned in to the question of who is someone in our life that is irritating you. We shared in groups of 2 or 3. Needless to say the conversations got a little more lively.
Then we switched gears looking at I John 4:9-11. If verse 9 & 10 are the model of love(sacrifice even if poeple wouldn't have accepted it) and how God showed his love to us then in vs. 11 we are called to love others.
We then took time to list out practical ways to love others. Some of those answers were respect others, pray for them, spend time with people, understand where they are coming from and listen to people and take time to care about what they are saying.
Now, that we had that list let’s look at I John 4:19-21. I have now long stopped using the words hate when it comes to people and I would be willing to bet most of us have as well. But I use kinder words like: I can’t stand them, they drive me nuts, I dislike them, or they sure are irritating…something along those lines. I will lump all those type s of people in our lives as the “disagreeables”
Well, God’s words makes it clear there isn’t much room for whole lot except that we are to show love to people(even disaggreables) using the model he sent to us…I used to say to my youth group kids when they would complain about someone in the group. “I’m not asking you to like anyone, you just have to love them” They never answered me back verbally that I remember but they always had this look on their face, as if they were saying, do you know what you are asking of me? Nothing God hasn’t asked for first.
My final challenge was to think about that person that is irritating you and commit to loving them in one practical way even at the risk that they will not accept you grace and kindness.
See you next week!
-LiFE
