Life Through Jesus Series

“Life Through Jesus”

“Life Through Jesus:” this statement speaks of a theme that of which believers of Jesus focus on love, connection, and living as followers of Christ. The verses we are going to be looking at this morning emphasize love as the foundation of life in Jesus.

1. The Command to Love: John 13:34-35

• Scripture: John 13:34–35: 34 “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

• Jesus didn’t just suggest love; He commanded it, making love the defining mark of His followers. Love isn’t just an option for believers; it’s essential to our identity in Christ.

2. Reflecting God’s Love: 1 John 4:11

• Scripture: 1 John 4:11: 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

We also ought to love one another John links together the two main issues that the false teachers have misconstrued: love of God and love of neighbor. For John, the two expressions of love are inextricably tied together

• Our ability to love others flows from understanding God’s love for us. This love isn’t just a response but a way of reflecting God’s heart to the world. When we truly grasp His love, it changes how we treat others, allowing us to love unconditionally and sacrificially.

Love, the message and command of love is integral to the message of Jesus; it is viewed in a new light. The commandment is not just to love one another, but to love as Christ loved—even to the point of being willing to lay down one’s life

• Application: Think of ways and pray for ways of how you can show love in practical ways and spiritual ways. “Thinking” head knowledge, is going to produce the practical ways, and “prayer” will produce the spiritual ways. Both ways are needed.

Love isn’t always a grand gesture; it can be small, consistent acts of kindness. Discuss with your family how daily interactions at home, work, and church can reflect God’s love to one another. Then follow through.

3. Love As Our Spiritual DNA: 1 John 4:7

• Scripture: “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.”

• When we’re born again, we inherit God’s nature of love. However, we need to engage the Heart of God regularly and consistently to follow in this new nature. We cannon take for granted that this new nature is just going to force us to do, we must choose and die to self, allowing the life of Christ to be displayed through us to others. This love shows we are truly “born of God,” making love an intrinsic part of our new life through Jesus.

• Illustration: Just as children often look or act like their parents, Christians should “resemble” God by loving as He does. Loving others isn’t only about obeying a command; it’s part of our new nature in Christ.

4. Love and Fear: 1 John 4:18

• Scripture: “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. ”

• True life through Jesus involves living without fear. God’s love is perfect, freeing us from fear of judgment, rejection, and failure. When we know we’re loved perfectly, we can love freely, without holding back.

• Application: yourselves today, “What fears hold me back from loving fully?” Fear can limit our ability to express God’s love. In Jesus, we can overcome these fears and let His love flow freely through us. FEAR WILL KEEP US FORM LOVE, HOWEVER, LOVE CONQUERS ALL FEAR. CHOOSE LOVE, LOVE CHOOSE YOU.

5. Love As Action, Not Just Words: 1 John 3:18

• Scripture: 1 John 3:18 (NASB95): 18 Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.

• Key Idea: Love isn’t just something we talk about; it’s something we demonstrate. God’s love for us was active, shown through Jesus’ sacrifice. In the same way, our love should be evident through our actions, not just our words.

• Illustration: Share a story about someone who went out of their way to show love through their actions, possibly even in a challenging situation. This serves as a reminder that love is best seen, not just spoken about.

Bringing It Together

To conclude, “Life Through Jesus” means living a life where love defines us, fuels us, and becomes our daily motivation:

• Call to Reflection: examine your lives— are you showing the love of Jesus in a way that’s noticeable to others?