THREE THINGS TO KNOW
DON’T MISS THIS. The ADA BIBLE CHURCH APP is a great way to stay connected while you’re traveling this summer. Watch the sermon, read the Beyond the Weekend devotional, listen to the Beyond the Weekend Podcast, find links to the weekly digital bulletin and more. Download the app from your device’s app store.
GROUP VALUES. This month, we focus on BIBLICAL TRUTH. John’s teaching about love challenges us to examine our hearts and actions. Consider whether your group discussions move beyond understanding Scripture to helping each other live out God’s Word in practical ways. How can you help each other apply Scripture to your daily lives?
GROW AS A LEADER. This week, the sermon pointed to struggles with generosity and loving difficult people. As a leader, be willing to share your own challenges first. Your vulnerability about how you need to grow will give others permission to be honest about their struggles.
DISCUSSION GUIDE
Welcome to the third week of our sermon series, CONFIDENT. This week, we explore how love serves as evidence of authentic faith by examining what it means to truly know and show God’s love.
ICEBREAKER
Share about a time when someone showed you unexpected love or kindness when you didn’t deserve it. How did that make you feel?
THIS WEEK’S TEXT
Have someone read 1 John 4:10-11 and 1 John 3:14-16 aloud.
According to these passages, what is the connection between God’s love for us and our love for others?
How does John describe what love looks like in practical terms?
What warning does John give to those who claim to love God but don’t love other believers?
THIS WEEK’S SERMON
Pastor Aaron continued the CONFIDENT sermon series by discussing how love serves as evidence of authentic faith. As a group, recall some of the sermon’s big ideas and main points.
God’s agape love can be defined as selflessly seeking our wellbeing. How does this differ from the world’s definition of love?
Pastor Aaron shared that God’s love should be the bedrock of our lives. How would our daily fears and insecurities change if we truly anchored our identity in God’s love for us?
God’s love for us should change what we chase after. What are practical ways to “seek first the kingdom of God” in everyday life?
How can we tell the difference between loving the world (as John warns against) and enjoying the good things God has created?
Pastor Aaron talked about how sharing God’s love with our time and our resources is evidence of God’s love in us. Which of these do you find most challenging to be generous with and why?
What is one small, practical step you could take this week to grow in generosity in the area you find most challenging—time or resources?
We often struggle to love others when we disagree with them, they have something we want or we’ve been hurt by them. What causes you to struggle the most to love others?
Pastor Aaron shared practical steps to help you show love to someone you’re struggling with or who has hurt you, including: 1) Remember what God has done for you. 2) Pray for that person. 3) Ask God to change your heart. 4) Look for an opportunity to serve that person. Which step do you need to take in the relationships you struggle with the most?
WRAP UP
After reflecting on love as evidence of authentic faith, what gives you the most confidence that you truly belong to God?