Key Scripture
1 John 1:10, 1 John 1:19
10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.
19 We love because he first loved us.
Prayer
Sermon Notes
Belong - You don’t have to believe to belong to our church
Believe - We are unapologetically and unabashedly about Jesus and want you to believe in Jesus
Become - Often what you believe in and belong to you become like
Zion’s new value Be Loved - to become like Jesus, we need to learn to Be Loved by Jesus - you are created to be loved by God!
It’s easy to put words on a wall or website - but if they aren’t put into action, they’re just words. But saying I am loved, even believing I am loved, is not the same this as the action and feeling of being loved.
It’s hard - intentionally giving space to, creating habits of and understanding the gifts God has placed in our lives of being loved.
How do we experience God’s love when we cannot see God’s presence or hear God’s voice?
God’s love is made complete in us - God’s love is made complete in you!
We experience God’s love through other Christians. Not through other people, but through other followers of Jesus!
When you love each other, you learn to be loved - but you also become more like Jesus.
And sometimes the most extravagant, other the top loving thing you can do is the most simple - just show up! God became flesh - God showed up!
Devoted: a supreme commitment, unwavering loyalty.
• What they committed themselves to:
• Teaching
• Fellowship
• Breaking of bread together
• Prayer
• Unity
• Radical generosity and care
• Worship and praise
When you learn to be loved by Jesus, you discover that Jesus wants the very best for you. It’s in the arms of His love you find out what it means to become like Jesus and loved like Jesus. You learn to believe not just that God is love, but that He loves you and you belong to Him.
Questions and challenges:
Q: How do you experience God’s love when we cannot see God’s presence or hear God’s voice?
Q: Reflect on a time when you experienced God’s love through someone else’s actions - how did you know that was God’s love?
C: Take time this week to show Jesus’ love to others. How does that make you feel?
Worship this week