The Story Begins: God’s Gift of Love

The Story Begins: God’s Gift of Love

Genesis 29

3-22-20

 I. Jacob is promised a gift of love. (Genesis 29:13-19)

 1 John 4:19 – “We love because he first loved us.”

 II. Service is the demonstration of love. (Genesis 29:20)

 Mark 10:45 – “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

John 15:13 – “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.”

1 John 3:16 – “By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.”

Matthew 25:35-36 – “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.”

Matthew 20:26 – “…whoever would be great among you must be your servant”

Galatians 5:13 – “For you were called to freedom…through love serve one another.”

1 Peter 4:10 – “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another…”

John 12:26 – “If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.”

III. God’s plan always happens. (Genesis 29:21-30)

Romans 8:29 – “For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.”

Hebrews 12:10-11 – “…he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.”

IV. Christ remains, and we abide.

Romans 8:35-39 – "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?  As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.  For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

John 14:15 – “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”

John 15:9 – “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.”

John 3:17 – “If anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him?”

1 John 4:10 – “Love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins.”

March/Weekly Transformation Verse: Psalm 25:4 – “Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths.”

Weekly Reading Plan: Genesis 29-31; Psalm 25; Matthew 25

Going Deeper This Week

1. Someone share the gospel and one way you have seen God at work in the past week.

2. How has your explanation of love changed over the years?

3. What can we do as a C group/family to show Christ’s love to those who feel unloved?

4. How do you tend to respond to discipline from God the Father?

5. How has God demonstrated His love for you lately?

6. How can we better demonstrate love to one another as a family/C group? Why is it important? (John 13:34-35)

7l Read and discuss these scriptures. Use them as a prayer guide. (Zephaniah 3:17, Proverbs 17:17, Matthew 5:43-48, John 13:34-35, 14:15, 15:13-14, 1 Corinthians 16:14, Romans 5:8, 8:28-30, 13:8, Ephesians 2:4-5, 1 John 4:7-8, 16-19)