3.1.16 Bible Study
Subject: The Ingredients for Love
Romans 12:9-16 (MSG)
9-10Love from the center of who you are; don’t fake it. Run for dear life from evil; hold on for dear life to good. Be good friends who love deeply; practice playing second fiddle.
11-13Don’t burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame. Be alert servants of the Master, cheerfully expectant. Don’t quit in hard times; pray all the harder. Help needy Christians; be inventive in hospitality.
14-16Bless your enemies; no cursing under your breath. Laugh with your happy friends when they’re happy; share tears when they’re down. Get along with each other; don’t be stuck-up. Make friends with nobodies; don’t be the great somebody.
Introduction
How should the believer relate to other believers? How should he treat believers and behave towards them? The subject is of vital concern to Christ. If we are full of God’s love, it will overflow to others. Life is much better with God as the center ingredient: problems turn into solutions; fear turns into hope; and anger turns to love.
1. Love must be sincere.
a. “let love be genuine” (v. 9a. GW)
b. Genuine literally means without hypocrisy.
2. Love must be discerning.
3. Love must display tender affection
4. Love must honor others.
5. Love must be enthusiastic.
6. Love must be patient.
7. Love must be generous.
8. Love must pursue hospitality.
9. Love must be kind.
10. Love must show sympathy.
11. Love must live in harmony.
12. Love must show humility.
13. Conclusion:
As we come to an end of this study, I can only comment that our churches would be happier if you took this passage to heart and stir in these ingredients into our life.
What do we do when it seems that love is not working? Increase the dosage.
Pray and ask the Lord to bring specific people to your ind that you may mix these ingredients and improve the quality in your life.
It is easy (and spiritually dangerous) to be non-specific when it comes to love. If we are to grow in this area, our
love must reach out to specific people we meet this week. They may come to us through an email or a phone
call or at a meeting or when we are in a big hurry and on our way to do something really important and we don’
t have time to be bothered and when we would be glad to hem them later but they need help now. What will we d
o them?
That’s the real test of love. Or the test may come in dealing with the same old grumpy people you life with or work with or go to school with every single day. Grumpy people need love, and who will do it if not you?
MIX THE INGREDIENTS FOR LOVE AND BUILD A COMMUNITY OF LOVE.
