Tuesday, April 9, 2019

Trail Post 5: Loving Others (from the Trailhead Series)

We are stopping here at trail post 5, Loving Others. This post is based on my pastor's sermon. It is part of his Trailhead Series.

You are invited to watch the entire sermon here.

Trailhead - Love Others - April 7, 2019 (Message) from Christ Place Church on Vimeo.

If you're just joining us, we are in the middle of a Bible study series titled Trailhead. Our stop at Trail post 1 was about baptism. Trail post 2 was about God's Word. Trail post 3 was about prayer. Trail post 4 was about disciple making. Trail post 5 is about loving others.

Trailhead is a guided journey for Christ followers.

Image Credit: Nina Strehl - Public Domain Image via Freely Photos

Loving Others

This week's Bible study text is 1 Corinthians 13. I grew up calling 1 Corinthians 13 the "love chapter," but I love how BibleGateway titles it "The Excellence of Love."

Other well known Bible verses about love are:

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” - John 13:34-35

Let all that you do be done in love. - 1 Corinthians 16:14

Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth. - 1 John 3:18

Love is not just a word or a feeling. Love DOES. Love ACTS. Love WORKS.

The church is a great place to learn to love others. We can do a lot of good things, especially in church but if we don't do it with love, all we are doing is making a lot of noise.

Love is in the little things.

1. Love is patient. Love patiently puts up with "stuff," even from those who slander and hurt us.

Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves. - Philippians 2:3

Love puts others first.

2. Love is kind. Love doesn't feel generous. Love IS generous. Simply practice good will all the time.

Kindness is a language deaf men can hear and blind men can see. - Mark Twain

3. Love does not parade around. It does not seek attention in a boastful way. When we are building ourselves up, we are not exalting Jesus.

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4. Love is not rude. Love has good manners. Let's be sure to model good manners for our kids.

5. Love is not provoked. If we look for negativity, we'll find it, but if we look for positive things, we will find those too.

6. Love rejoices in the truth.

Let's personalize part of 1 Corinthians 13:4-7.

(Your name) is patient. (Your name) is kind. (Your name) is not jealous. (Your name) does not brag. (Your name) is not arrogant. (Your name) does not act unbecomingly. (Your name) does not seek after his/her own self. (Your name) is not provoked to anger. (Your name) does not hold a grudge against those who have wronged him/her. (Your name) does not rejoice in unrighteousness. (Your name) rejoices in the truth. (Your name) bears all things. (Your name) believes all things. (Your name) hopes all things. (Your name) endures all things.

Now, let's put Jesus' name into the verse.

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(Jesus) is patient. (Jesus) is kind. (Jesus) is not jealous. (Jesus) does not brag. (Jesus) is not arrogant. (Jesus) does not act unbecomingly. (Jesus) does not seek after his own self. (Jesus) is not provoked to anger. (Jesus) does not hold a grudge against those who have wronged him. (Jesus) does not rejoice in unrighteousness. (Jesus) rejoices in the truth. (Jesus) bears all things. (Jesus) believes all things. (Jesus) hopes all things. (Jesus) endures all things.

Do you want to become more like Jesus? Have you received God's love in your life? Learn how to receive Jesus into your life here.

You'll find all posts in the Trailhead series here.

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