John 3:16-17
16“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. 17God did not send his Son into the world to condemn it, but to save it.
John 3:16 is arguably the most well known verse in all of the Bible. I have used it first because no matter how often I have read it, it never grows old. The thoughts behind this verse are priceless and timeless.
As I thought about this verse today I could not help but notice some interesting characteristics about the essence of love in them.
You are greatly loved. I know that the verse says that God so loved the world but that is a hard concept to grasp. Also, is an interesting verse in that you can read the entire Old Testament and not discover the fact that God loves the 'whole' world. The Old Testament lets us know that God loved His chosen people but there isn't a hint that He loved the whole world. Aside from the Jewish nation God had some nasty things to say about the gentiles. You read Matthew and we don't find that God loves the whole world. You can read Mark and Luke and hear nothing about God loving the whole world. The first two chapters of John do not mention it. It isn't until you come to John 3:16 that you discover that God, in fact, loves the world.
That is well and good but the major thing to notice is that He loves you. You are a key part of this 'world' that He loves. He reaches out to you. He desires to keep you safe and no matter what happens He will always love you.The essence of love is to give. 'He gave...' When you love someone, you want to give them something. Affection, attention, etc. And God didn't just give us a mere gift, He gave us the gift of His Son. There was no better gift that He could have given us because in that gift came eternal life and the ability to be with God forever. So giving is the essence of love as God sees it and that is a timeless truth we can hold onto.
Love never dies. When love is true it never dies. It is eternal. We often mistake 'like' with love. Like comes and goes. We, sometimes think we love someone or something but time reveals that we merely liked that person or thing and then our feelings change and we find other things to like. But love is not a feeling. It is a commitment. True love is not threatened by time and circumstance. I often wonder how many people have ever really experienced true love. How many people have established relationships with people that they liked a whole lot at some point but have to admit that the reality was not true love.
God does not have that problem so frequent in human relationships. He loved us from eternity past and His love will extend into eternity future
You are greatly loved and that love will never die. It will grow throughout time and eternity. You are safe with Him and He will never let you down. We may fail Him but His great love will overcome our inadequacies and will draw us to Him. May God bless you today.
Friendship is like the breeze,
You can't hold it,
Smell it,
Taste it,
Or know when it's coming,
But you can always feel it,
And you'll always know it's there,
It may come and then go,
But you can know it'll always be back.
- Terri Fanning -
Theo
Dear Small Group Leader (or soon to be Facilitator)
Please allow everyone in your group to answer the Quick Question. It will get things started on the right foot, encouraging quieter ones to open up. Please do not require everyone to answer every question. They may not be ready to share yet. Also please allow at least 5-10 minutes at the end of your study so as many as would like to can respond to the REFLECTION question. This may be the most important time in your small group study. Thank You
SMALL GROUP BIBLE STUDY
Please Read:
QUICK QUESTION: If you could go back and start over, would you or wouldn't you and why?
What is required in order to be saved?
What is the result of the belief stated here?
What did God do to show the world His love?
Why did Jesus enter our world?
Exactly what does John say here that you must do to be saved? Search the book of John to see if there are any other requirements (no other book, just John).
REFLECTION: What can you and/or your group do this week to show your love and gratefulness to God?
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