The Gospel Project® for Adults

Leader Guide CSB, Unit 20, Session 3

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THE SON EMBODIES DIVINE LOVE

SESSION OUTLINE

1. The Nature of Love (1 John 4:7-10)
2. The Primacy of Love (1 John 4:11; 1 Cor. 13:1-3)
3. The Character of Love (1 Cor. 13:4-7)

Background Passages: 1 Corinthians 13; 1 John 4

WHAT WILL MY GROUP LEARN?

God, who in His essence is love,
has called on people to love one another
according to His love for them.

HOW WILL MY GROUP SEE CHRIST?

God, in His nature, is love.
God’s greatest act of love has been giving of Himself to us
in Christ Jesus.
Jesus took on flesh, suffered and died, and rose again
to forgive the sins of all who trust in Him.
Jesus’s work leaves no question of God’s glory
and His love for people.

HOW SHOULD MY GROUP RESPOND?

Because God, out of His great love, has sacrificed of Himself
for us, we are to love others and sacrifice greatly
on their behalf.

GROUP TIME

INTRODUCTION

Click on the link or scan the QR code for a reproducible handout of this session’s Scripture passages:

Setting:

In his letter known as 1 John,
the apostle John, one of Jesus’s disciples,
exhorted his readers to be on guard against false prophets.
His readers must not be caught up in worldly errors
but know “the Spirit of truth” (1 John 4:6).
John then went on to point his readers to the importance of love
in their relationships with one another.
This love is rooted in the love of God for His people.
Knowing “the Spirit of truth”
should lead to love that looks like God’s love for us.
Our love for our fellow Christians is rooted in the gospel.
Belief in the gospel should lead to love for other believers
and for the whole world.

Explain:

We use the word “love” for all sorts of reasons,
such as “I love pizza”
or “I love Marvel movies”
or “I love my mom”
or “I love my spouse.”
The word love may have various meanings and intents to various people.

Discuss:

• How would you define love?
• (affection for someone;
• devotion and care for someone;
• putting others’ needs before your own;
• sacrificing for the sake of the good of someone)

Transition:

In our session today,
we will be looking at how Jesus embodies divine love.
Through the saving work of Jesus Christ, we see the nature of love,
the primacy of love, and the character of love.
While the world is often confused about what love is,
God has clearly revealed what love looks like for His people.
The greatest act of love the world has ever seen
was the Lord Jesus Christ being sent to earth
in order to save His people from their sins.