All About Jesus – Week One
The Depths of God’s Love and Forgiveness / Joshua 1:1-9
IT’S ALL ABOUT JESUS
Belief: We believe God wants to be known, and to make Him known. We discover our divine direction through means of grace. We seek God primarily through His Word, worship, and prayer. We make time for these moments to walk with God. We believe God wants to guide our lives with dreams, visions, and direction for our lives.
Value: Creating space to hear from God is essential to the walk of the follower of Jesus.
Win: People having intentional daily devotions.
1 John 4:7-19 - Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us. 13 By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16 So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. 17 By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. 19 We love because he first loved us.
I. The Nature of God’s Love
1 John 4:9-10 - “This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”
God’s Love is an Unconditional Love:
Romans 5:8 - “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
God’s Love is a Boundless Love:
Ephesians 3:17-19 teaches us about the breadth, length, height, and depth of God’s love, encouraging us to comprehend this vastness in our hearts.
It is a love that invites us into a relationship, assuring us that we are never alone, no matter the struggles we face.
God’s love is a Transformative Love:
2 Corinthians 5:17 - “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”
You can't tell yourself what your purpose is because you didn't make you.
II. The Reality of God’s Forgiveness
Colossians 3:13 - “Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” This divine forgiveness is not only a gift we receive but also a model for how we should treat others. (NIV)
Reconciled through Christ’s Atonement
Hebrews 10:17 - ‘Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.’” (NIV)
Restored to a Right Relationship with God
1 John 1:9 - “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (NIV)
Receive Forgiveness from Christ as a Choice:
Matthew 6:14-15 - Jesus emphasizes the importance of forgiveness: “For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” (NIV)
III. Embodying God’s Love and Forgiveness
John 13:34-35 - “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples if you love one another.”
How do we Demonstrate Love?
1 Peter 4:8 - “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.” Our love can have a healing and redemptive power in the lives of those around us.
How do we Extend Forgiveness?
Ephesians 4:32 - Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
James 1:14 - But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. 15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.
BREAKING THE CHAINS
Belief: We believe God wants to be known, and to make Him known. We discover our divine direction through means of grace. We seek God primarily through His Word, worship, and prayer. We make time for these moments to walk with God. We believe God wants to guide our lives with dreams, visions, and direction for our lives.
Value: Creating space to hear from God is essential to the walk of the follower of Jesus.
Win: People having intentional daily devotions.
1 John 4:7-19 - Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us. 13 By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16 So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. 17 By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. 19 We love because he first loved us.
I. The Nature of God’s Love
1 John 4:9-10 - “This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”
God’s Love is an Unconditional Love:
Romans 5:8 - “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
God’s Love is a Boundless Love:
Ephesians 3:17-19 teaches us about the breadth, length, height, and depth of God’s love, encouraging us to comprehend this vastness in our hearts.
It is a love that invites us into a relationship, assuring us that we are never alone, no matter the struggles we face.
God’s love is a Transformative Love:
2 Corinthians 5:17 - “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”
You can't tell yourself what your purpose is because you didn't make you.
II. The Reality of God’s Forgiveness
Colossians 3:13 - “Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” This divine forgiveness is not only a gift we receive but also a model for how we should treat others. (NIV)
Reconciled through Christ’s Atonement
Hebrews 10:17 - ‘Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.’” (NIV)
Restored to a Right Relationship with God
1 John 1:9 - “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (NIV)
Receive Forgiveness from Christ as a Choice:
Matthew 6:14-15 - Jesus emphasizes the importance of forgiveness: “For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” (NIV)
III. Embodying God’s Love and Forgiveness
John 13:34-35 - “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples if you love one another.”
How do we Demonstrate Love?
1 Peter 4:8 - “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.” Our love can have a healing and redemptive power in the lives of those around us.
How do we Extend Forgiveness?
Ephesians 4:32 - Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
James 1:14 - But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. 15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.
BREAKING THE CHAINS