Introduction A. Paul tells us that no quantity of learning, sacrifice, or even faith is of any value without love to acc...
Serving Those of Little Faith
Introduction A. Have you ever done something for someone who didn’t fully appreciate your act of service because they...
“Love Your Enemies”
Introduction A. Of all the teachings of Jesus, it may be that there is none more difficult than this one: “Love you enemies.” B. Jesus defines my enemy as one who hates me, curses me, spitefully uses me, and persecutes me. C. This teaching of Jesus challenges our level of commitment to Him as much as any other. Are you willing to follow Him this far? Discussion I. Why should I love my enemies? A. I should love my...
“Love One Another”
Introduction A. In His final instructions to the disciples, the one commandment that Jesus chose to emphasize was that they continue to love one another as He had loved them (John 15:12). B. Jesus knew that the disciples would need one another to weather the storms ahead, and nothing could hold them together like love. I. Why was brotherly love so important to Jesus at this moment? A. Jesus saw love...
Love
Introduction A. Of all the marvelous things with which God has blessed mankind, love is without a doubt the greatest (1 Corinthians 13:13). B. Is it any wonder then that Peter would save this for last in his list of virtues to add to our Christian character? C. You might be a loving person, but there is always room to grow. I. When we talk about love, what are we talking about? A. Learning how to love is a process of slow and steady growth...
Brotherly Kindness
Introduction A. Of all the virtues we are to add to our character, brotherly love seems to be the most natural.B. We should not conclude, however, that it is always easy to show the kind of love for our brethren that God expects. I. Brotherly love doesn’t always come easily. A. The Old Testament is filled with examples of sibling rivalries, such as Cain and Abel (Genesis 4), as well as Amnon and Absalom (2 Samuel 13). B. Even Paul did not...
None of Self
Introduction Of all the virtues that Christianity teaches, selflessness lies at the center, for until we learn to give up ourselves and to put God first, we will never know what it means to be a disciple of Jesus. I. The world tells us to watch out first for ourselves. A. Selfish men of the Bible include Lot (Genesis 13:10-12), Achan (Joshua 7:21), and Ahab (1 Kings 21:1-10). B. In each case the fruit of selfishness was destruction (Genesis 19:24-38...
The Greatest Thing
Introduction A. After dealing one-by-one with the problems in Corinth, Paul offers the solution to every problem: love (1 Corinthians 13:13). B. Paul contrasts love with other great things, and, after analyzing it thoroughly, he concludes that love excels them all. I. Paul first contrasts love with other great things (vss. 1-3). A. He contrasts it with miraculous gifts (vs. 1-2a). B. He contrasts it with faith (vs. 2b). C. He contrasts it with charity (vs. 3a)...