#146 – PRAY FOR ABOUNDING LOVE (13/7/20)

If you missed Sunday's broadcast, please catch up by following the link below. (For the foreseeable future, we will be running our Sunday morning services digitally. Please go to our website on Sundays at 10:30 to join in)

‘And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight,  so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ,  filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.’ (Philippians 1:9-11)

It’s important that we pray for the good things that we want to see. God makes it clear in His word that love is the most important attribute that He loves to see in a Christian and a church community. This is reflected in Paul’s prayer. Jesus teaches us,

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.  By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34)

Love is defined by Jesus as, ‘as I have loved you, so you must love’. For Christians, love is laying our lives down for the good of another. It’s sacrificial service. Paul is praying for more of this kind of love in this church.

RESPONSE

Jesus set the example of praying that we would love one another. He prayed,

“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message,  that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” (John 17:20-21)

Take some time to pray that you, your church, the world-wide church would ‘abound in love’.

COMMUNITY GROUP STUDY – LOVE ABOUNDING

Notices

It might be good to begin with notices. Please share from this week’s Church News.

Particularly, encourage people to be aware of and praying in regard to our gift days.

Suggested opener/Ice-breaker

What is the best decision you’ve ever made and why?

Introduction - please share in your group

We are to make decisions out of love. We need to ask “is this choice or attitude loving to God and others?” However, for us to make such choices, it’s vital that we understand what love is.

How do you think that the word ‘love’ can be misused when making decisions?

Please read Philippians 1:9-11.

Paul prays that their ‘love would abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight,  so that you may be able to discern what is best…’

i)Love abounding in knowledge

For us to love correctly, we need knowledge of God and His ways from the Bible.

ii) Love abounding in insight and discernment

Once we have correct knowledge, we can then make good moral choices – ‘discern what is best’.

How has knowledge of God and His ways shaped a memorable decision in your life?

Discuss/share/pray in smaller groups:

1. What is the Holy Spirit speaking to you about (maybe from Sunday's message or your bible reading this week)?

2. What will you do in response?

3. How can we pray for you?