Genuine Love
Romans 12:9-13
Josh Hanson
Part of Therefore (Romans 12-16)
May 11, 2025

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SERMON DISCUSSION GUIDE

CONVERSATION STARTER
How does our culture define love, and what does it say love looks like in action? In what ways does society’s view align with God’s truth, and where does it fall short according to Scripture?

DEEPER
Note: The sermon and the questions below highlight 12 expressions of genuine love. There’s no need to cover every question (or you’ll never get home!). Feel free to focus on the ones that will spark the most meaningful discussion and reflection in your group.

Read Romans 12:9-13
Pastor Josh helped us to see that, “What we do is to be based on what we believe.” When you think about your own life, where do you notice a disconnect between what you believe about God’s love and how you actually live? What might it look like to let the gospel reshape that area?

Paul writes, “Let love be genuine.” We often define love by our own standards instead of letting Scripture define it. What are some ways our culture, or even we as Christians, misunderstand what real, gospel-shaped love looks like?

Genuine love abhors, or REALLY hates, what is evil (v.9). Pastor Josh provided a list of several examples of evil: Idolatry, taking God’s name in vain, not honoring your father or mother, stealing, greed, covetousness, jealousy, lust, adultery, pornography, lying, gossip, slander, atheism, false religions, and not submitting to the authorities God has placed over you. As you consider this list (or others that come to mind), are there any areas in your life where your hatred for sin needs to deepen?

Genuine love holds fast to what is good (v.9). What goodness defined by God’s Word do you need to hold more fast to more intentionally?

Genuine love is loving one another with brotherly (or family) affection (v.10). How are you helping our church to be a godly family? How are you loving others in our congregation with a family affection?

Genuine love is outdoing one another in showing honor (v.10). Read Philippians 2:3. In what areas are you showing this kind of genuine love for others? What areas need improvement?

Genuine love isn’t slothful in zeal (v.11). Think back to Jesus’ Parable of the Talents in Matthew 25:14-30. What areas of living for God are you lazy in? What areas are you diligent in?

Genuine love is fervent in spirit (v.11). In what ways are you quenching the Spirit in your life? What areas are you enthusiastic and excited about how the Spirit is working in you?

Genuine love is to serve the Lord (v.11). How are you cheerfully serving the Lord? Where are you lacking in your service to him?

Genuine love rejoices in hope and is patient in tribulation (v.12). In a broken world, love expresses itself by holding onto hope and enduring suffering without giving up. What is one area of your life where you’re struggling to stay hopeful or patient? How might genuine love show itself in how you wait on God in that space?

Genuine love is being constant in prayer (v.12). How would you describe the consistency of your prayer life right now? What simple step could help you become more constant in prayer this week?

Genuine love is contributing to the needs of the saints (v.13). One way we express genuine love is by financially supporting the local church so that the body of Christ can meet needs, fund ministry, and care for one another well. How does your current approach to giving reflect love for the body of Christ? What might it look like to grow in generosity toward our church family?

Genuine love showing hospitality (toward strangers). How open is your life (your home, your table, your schedule) to strangers right now? What keeps you from practicing hospitality, and how might you take a step forward?

Prayer activity: Pray as a group, or in smaller groups for God to be working on our genuine love in each of these 12 areas.

NOTES

DISCIPLINES
Pray: Ask God to help you live out genuine love toward him and toward others this week, focusing on the various ways we see genuine love manifest itself.

Read: Because He Loves Me: How Christ Transforms Our Daily Life, by Elyse M. Fitzpatrick.

Write: Write down any questions you might have from the sermon and submit them to the website to be answered in a future podcast.

Sing: Listen to the worship songs from Sunday throughout the week. Look up the lyrics to each song and spend some time reading them.

Memorize: Romans 12:9-13


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