Youth Sermon: Fueled by Love

God's Love for Us

Our main verse for today is John 3:16. You've probably heard it before, but let's read it together: 'For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.'

So, God loves us so much that He sent Jesus to save us. That's pretty amazing, right? And Jesus tells us in John 13:34 that we should love others just like He loves us. But how do we do that?

Before we get into that, let's try a little object lesson. I have here a big bag of candy. Now, imagine that this candy represents God's love for us. It's sweet, it's awesome, and there's more than enough to go around. But what if I just kept all this candy to myself and didn't share it with any of you? That wouldn't be very loving, would it?

Just like this candy, God's love is meant to be shared with others. So, let's talk about how we can do that.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Showing Love to Others

First, we need to remember that God's love is unconditional. That means He loves us no matter what we do or how we act. And we should try to love others the same way. It's not always easy, but it's what Jesus wants us to do.

One way we can show love to others is by forgiving them. In Matthew 18:21-22, Jesus tells us to forgive others not just seven times, but seventy-seven times! That's a lot of forgiveness, but it's what God does for us, so we should do it for others too.

Another way we can show love is by making sacrifices for others. This might mean giving up something we want to help someone else or spending time with someone who needs a friend. Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice for us, so we can definitely make some sacrifices for others.

Now, let's think about how we can apply this to our lives. Who in your life needs some love right now? Maybe it's a friend who's going through a tough time or a family member you haven't talked to in a while. This week, let's challenge ourselves to show God's love to those people.

Prayer

Let's pray together: 'God, thank You for loving us so much that You sent Jesus to save us. Help us to love others the way You love us, by forgiving them and making sacrifices for them. Give us the strength and courage to share Your love with everyone we meet. In Jesus' name, Amen.'

Small Group Breakout Questions

1. How have you experienced God's unconditional love in your life?

2. What makes it difficult to love others unconditionally?

3. How can we practice forgiveness and sacrifice in our relationships?

4. Share a time when you showed love to someone who was difficult to love. What was the outcome?

5. How can we support each other in our efforts to love like Jesus?

Get the Full Youth Group Plan

• Icebreaker: Love in Action
• Group Activity: Love Letter Exchange
• Youth Challenge: Love Like Jesus Challenge