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LIFEGroup Reflections

What does love look like? What does love sound like? What does love feel like? Can you draw a picture of love? What picture would you draw? If you had to describe love what would you compare it to?

One of the most beautiful descriptions of love that I’ve ever read comes from Jesus’ prayer for his followers.

Jesus prays, “Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; that they all may be one; as thou Father are in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou has sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them: that they may be one; even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.”

Do you think God loves Jesus? What kind of love do they experience in their perfect unity? What joy does it bring them? Could we understand that love? The shocking answer must be ‘yes.’ The love God has for Jesus is the kind of love God wants us to share with each other. It’s so radical I almost can’t believe Jesus said it. Jesus prays that we would be one in the same way that He and God are one. Jesus wants us to be united in Him with each other in such a way that when people see us they see the kind of love God has for Jesus.

Are Christians known for their love? Ask your non-Christian friends their perspective on Christians. When I ask my friends I hear words ranging from judgmental, hypocritical, to greedy, and closed minded. I hardly ever hear words like caring, giving, loving or unified.

God has done an incredible work in my life, leading me out of my sin and into a relationship with him. I’m excited about God doing another incredible work in my life. God is leading me out of my individualism and into relationship with the body of Christ.

In our LIFEGroup I’m starting to see the beginning of that world changing love Jesus prayed for. When my non-Christian friend shows me a judgmental, hypocritical, greedy Christian, I can show him my LIFEGroup. My friend showed me a televangelist hawking healing holy oil for money. I showed him a LIFEGroup that prayed for the healing of my wife out of love. I showed him the loving healing our God provides. I showed him a group of people brought together and devoted to one another through the love of God. We’re not perfect and we are still growing but if my friend could see the love of God through our group than I know we’re on our way to being the people God wants us to be.

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