EMPOWERED Love: Shows God to Others

1 John 4:8-12 | But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love. God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us.

• Today’s reading says that if you’re not loving, you’re not a follower of God.

  • Why do you think this is?

  • Looking at yourself, would you describe yourself as loving? Why or why not?

  • What does this say about your walk with God?

• How did God show His love for you?

• How can remembering God’s unconditional love for you help you show love to others, even when its hard?

• Verse 12 explains that loving others is important because “No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us.”

  • What does this mean?

  • How does loving others show people who God is?

  • Are you loving people in a way that shows them God’s love for them? If not, what will you change?