Good morning, dear Church family and friends,

Know that Gayla and I count it an honor and privilege to serve the Lord as we serve you. We want you to know that you are dearly loved. In fact, everything we do in our ministry at SVCC is motivated by our love for the Lord and you! Thank you for allowing us to serve you.  May the Lord use this short study to “refresh” you and give you a spiritual boost as you prepare your heart to hear God’s word this coming Sunday.

Ice Breaker: Fill in the blank. I love _____________! Why did you choose that?

1 John 3:11-18 is a passage in the Bible that explores the contrast between love and hate, and how love should be demonstrated by Christians.

A woman was surprised at church one day when another woman, who had often snubbed her, went out of her way to give her a big hug before the service. She wondered what had initiated her change of heart.

She got her answer at the end of the service when the pastor instructed, “Your assignment for next week is the same as last week. I want you to go out there and love somebody you just can’t stand” (adapted from Reader’s Digest, [4/02], p. 48). This is too funny if it were not so true!

If loving others were only as easy as giving a hug to someone you don’t like, we all could excel in love. Just hug them and move on! But, genuine love is a bit more difficult than that! It requires continual effort, because at the heart of loving others is putting the other person ahead of yourself, and that is always a huge battle. For this reason, the New Testament as a whole and the apostle John, who is known as the “Apostle of Love” in this letter, never tires of exhorting us to love one another.

The mark of the world is hatred, but the heart beat of the church is love. That is a nice, clean statement, but as you ponder it, you have to ask yourself, “Is that really true?”  I’ve known some wonderful, loving unbelievers and I’ve also known some real scoundrels in the church (not at SVCC, of course!). We’ve all met people who claim to be Christians, but frankly, you’d rather snuggle with a porcupine than try to get close to them! So, how do we square up what John says with what we actually experience? Hopefully, that question will be answered as we work through the text (my sub-points are adapted from John Stott, The Epistles of John [Eerdmans], p. 144).

So as you work your way through this week’s Refresco, ask yourself, “Am I a good lover?” If the answer is no, why not? After all, the Bible says, “By this, all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:35)

Let’s dig in! Here are some themes from 1 John 3:11-18. Enjoy this week’s study! 

• Love and Life: Love is a sign of eternal life, while hate is associated with death. In what way is that realized? Why does love bring life? Why does hate bring death?
• Love in Action: Love is demonstrated through practical actions, such as helping those in need. What are some practical ways that you can demonstrate love to “that” person you have a hard time getting along with?
• Love Like Jesus: Christians should love others as Jesus did, and be willing to sacrifice for them. We tell our wives and children we love them all the time. What is one sacrificial act you could do that would demonstrate to your wife or your children how much you really love them?
• Love is Genuine: Love should be genuine and demonstrated through actions, not just words. Do you say you love more than you actually love? What does it mean for your love to be genuine?
• Love is Christ-like: Love should be Christ-like in every way. The Bible says, “Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her …” (Ephesians 5:25) How did Christ love the church? How does that look in your life? What changes are you going to have to make to love the way Christ loves?

May the Lord find you faithful in studying His word! Gayla and I are praying you have a good rest of the week and look forward to seeing Sunday in worship service. (And bring someone with you!)