Friday, September 1, 2023
Speaker:
Pastor Christine Sweeney, The Tabernacle
Theme Verse to Memorize:
1 John 4:10-11 (NLT)
This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other.
Key Passage:
Matthew 5:43-47 (NKJV)
"You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so?"
Additional Scriptures: Romans 12:17-21 (NLT ); Romans 5:7-8 (NLT)
Jesus says that we should love our enemies by:
- Blessing those who curse us
- Doing good to those who hate us
- Praying for those who spitefully use us and persecute us
Bottom Line:
When I think less of me, I can love my enemy.
30-Day Challenge:
For the next thirty days, pray for that one person (your nemesis—that person) every single day in a God-pleasing way. At the end of the thirty days, reflect and journal if and how your heart’s position concerning him or her has changed.
Song List:
I Thank God
Now Here
Living Hope
Make Room
Discussion Questions
Icebreaker: Who is your favorite fictional villain?
- What do you think people find most challenging about loving their enemies?
- Read Matthew 5:43-45 (NKJV). What do you learn in these verses?
- Using Romans 12:17-21 as a guide, what are some practical ways you can love your enemies?
- In the message, we were challenged to pray for our enemies for 30 days. What is one thing you can pray for yours this week?