Grace is God’s Love for Everyone
Mark 12:29-31
THEME: Building on Grace # 5 Grace to me means grace to you.
God’s GRACE is for EVERYONE. The theme today is: GRACE TO ME MEANS GRACE TO YOU! Jesus was the ultimate expression of God’s GRACE and LOVE for EVERYONE.
Jesus said the most important element of God’s GRACE is: "The most important command is this `Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.' The second command is this, `Love your neighbor as you love yourself.' There are no commands more important that these." Mark 12:29-31 (NCV)
"And now these three remain. Faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." (1 Corinthians 13:13, NIV). Number one is love. LOVE for God and others is the tangible expression of GRACE.
"The whole law is made complete in this one command: Love your neighbor as you love yourself." (Galatians 5:14, NCV) God’s expression of grace to me, means that I express grace to you!! Expressing GRACE from God through Love to Others is what God values the most.
Ask What Love is
Love is misunderstood.
Misconception: Love is just a feeling.
Misconception: Love is uncontrollable.
God says love is a matter of choice. It is controllable.
"And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together." (Colossians 3:14, NIV)
God says love is a matter of conduct. It's about the way that we act.
"Let's stop just saying we love people, let us really love them, and show it by our actions" (1 John 3:18, TLB).
Act Like Love Acts.
Be Patient. 1 Corinthians 13:4 "Love is patient."
The hardest part of patience isn't waiting with them. The hardest part is waiting for them.
"Be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other's faults because of your love." (Ephesians 4:2, TLB)
Patience is -- making allowance for another person's faults because of my love.
Be Kind.
"Be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God has forgiven you." (Ephesians 4:32, TLB)
Kindness means I have God's heart towards others.
Don't Be Showy. Don't try to impress other people with the kind of love that you have.
"It doesn't envy. It doesn't boast. It's not proud." (1 Corinthians 13:4, NIV)
Don't Be Selfish.
"It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs." ( Corinthians 13:5)
Love Doesn't Quit
"Love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." (1 Cor. 13:7)