Mid-Week KNOWN: Where is the Love?

Dear LKYouths,

We've come to the end of this season of KNOWN but the lessons are far from over. Be transformed ... this reflection is a very difficult "medicine" to swallow. However, we do need to first confess that we're all 'in need of a miracle healer' to some extent.

The Question
What’s the big deal about loving others?
The Point
God commands us to love Him, love ourselves, and love others—even enemies.

A. Loving others is a reasonably difficult command.
§ Read Matthew 22:37-40
§ God commanded us to love Him with all that we have. Is loving God easy or difficult? God commanded us to love ourselves. Is loving ourselves easy or difficult? God commanded us to love our neighbors. Is loving our neighbors easy or difficult?
§ Why are these verses referred to as The Great Commandment? Why is this so important?
§ In your opinion, why is loving others a reasonably difficult command? What makes it difficult?

B. Loving those who hurt us is a more difficult command.
§ Read Matthew 5:38-42.
§ This passage starts with the Old Testament law of reciprocity, “An eye for an eye.” In essence this approach to life meant if someone did something to you, you were perfectly within your rights to do that same thing back to him or her.
§§ As difficult as it is to turn the other cheek, the really tough part is next.

C. Praying for our enemies is a near-impossible command.
§ Matthew 5:43-47
§ There are two near-impossible commands here: Mission Impossible #1: Love your enemies. Mission Impossible #2: Pray for those who persecute you. Why would a loving God give us what seem like impossible commands?
§ Do you think God hates anyone or anything? Do you think God has enemies?
§ Scripture makes it clear that God hates sin. It was God’s wrath that was poured out on Jesus for our sin. God has people who oppose Him, and oppose His ways. Before you followed Christ, you were God’s enemy. Why would God ask you to love your enemies?
§ God consistently asks you to do things that seem impossible from your human perspective so that others can see His power demonstrated through you in the most difficult things.

D. We demonstrate the character of God when we love in hard situations.
§ Read Matthew 5:48
§ God makes it plain now that He is asking you to do something that is impossible, humanly speaking. Be perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect. God is love, and His love is perfect. His Spirit is also alive in you. His love is alive in you. He wants the pattern of your life to become a dependence upon Him to do what only He can do.
§ In your opinion, what do you think it means to be perfect as God is perfect? How can we go about doing that?

Conclusion
§ God is not asking us to do anything He has not already done. Before we came to know Him, He sought the best for us when we didn’t deserve it. When you treat people the way they deserve to be treated, you are just like everyone else. When you seek the best for others, even for your enemies, you are like God.
§ This isn’t going to be easy. Visualize some of the people who have mistreated them. Visualize themselves loving their enemies by seeking the best for them. Your enemies know God is involved when they have mistreated you, and you are still a blessing to them.
§ Just in case all of this idealistic talk has not convinced you that you should live out this impossible challenge, listen to the Word of God. Read Proverbs 25:21-22.
§ I see some of you smiling. Let’s pray.

Yiguang

KNOWN Midweek Session: Where is the LOVE?

Yo LKYouths!! WUZ UP!!!

This week's reflection.

The Question
How can I know that God loves me?
The Point
Jesus died for you—to show you God’s love—when you least deserved it.

The Bible includes the greatest love story of all time.
§ We are going to take a multiple-choice test to see if you know what the second greatest love story of all time is. Which of these would qualify: Romeo and Juliet, Ricky and Lucy, Brad Pitt and Jennifer Anniston, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie.
§ If love seeks the best interest of others, these options aren’t very good. Romeo could not have what he wanted—Juliet—so he commits suicide. Ricky and Lucy were always arguing—and they slept in separate beds. We all rooted for Brad Pitt and Jennifer Anniston, until his “love” changed; now it is Brad and Angelina.
§ Lots of people will tell you they love you. But love is more than just words. Words are only known to be true when they are backed up with action. Love is more than conditional acceptance. It is more than loving someone until something better comes along. Real love has permanence.
§ Read Romans 5:6-8. God has told us that He loves us in His Word. God has also shown us that He loves us through His actions.
§ Dictionary.com defines demonstrated. Demonstrated—to have displayed publicly and openly. God demonstrated His love with more than just words. God demonstrated His love with unconditional acceptance. God demonstrated His love in a very public and permanent way. God demonstrated His love for us when we were still sinners—we can’t get our lives “right enough” to earn salvation.

God’s love provides us with an eternal relationship.



§ God loves us even while we are sinners and doing those things that He hates, the things that separate us from Him. There should be a space between the cliff faces. Nothing we do—good works, volunteerism, giving to charity, good grades, honesty, purity—will ever be enough to get us back to God and the relationship that He desires to have with us.
§ God demonstrated His love for us by sending Jesus who laid down His life on a cross so that we could walk from what we deserved (death, the wages of our sin) to His gift (eternal life through Jesus Christ), from sin to God, and from death to life. How do we make that walk? By faith—place the poster with the word, FAITH on the crossbeam.
§ Read Romans 6:23.

Conclusion
§ Read 2 Corinthians 5:20-21.
§ God demonstrated His love for you openly. That demonstration demands a response from us! Will you DEMONSTRATE your FAITH, and give your life to Christ? The beauty of love—God’s love—is seen clearly in the birth, life, crucifixion, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Consider this: What is Love?

Time to get serious ....

Yiguang

Because i feel guilty for not blogging for a long time, i shall blog (:
Kay, fine i know screwtape was like a week ago, but still. It's good to relieve memories. Hahaha.

I made it just on time for the play, and honestly speaking for the first part of the play i was a little confused. No wait, make that very confused. I remember i kept asking jer what was happening and she would be like "I dont know either!"
But as the show progressed, i guess i kinda started to understand what was happening, and the show was seriously really cool. Idk how to explain it, but it was quite interesting to see how C.S Lewis portrayed the devil, and referring to God as the enemy and all. (Fyi, God's not our enemy he's our friend ;D) So overall i enjoyed the play very muchhhh.
And after the play we went out for dinner with some ccbc people. So it was a good time of fellowship! Carl's junior ftwwwww (:

Church tmr, budget meeting so there's no KNOWN! Quite sad really, cause i kinda like KNOWN ): But still, cya all in church tmr!
(And quoting auggie on fb, 'Be hip and eat with the yas and youths!' Hahaha LUNCH IS ON AUGGIE TMR ;D;D;D)((Im kidding, but please feel free to join us, or them for lunch for a time of fellowship!))