Mar. 10, 2024

God's Love - What?  Why?  How?

John 3:16

What does love look like?  You might think of a couple on their wedding day committing themselves to one another or the couple celebrating a milestone anniversary. You might think of a parent holding their child for the first time. You might think of your favorite sports team, or your favorite food, or maybe your favorite recreational activity.  That’s love.  We so often attach the word “love” to anything or anyone that brings us happiness, that makes us feel good, that brings us joy.  How about God?  What does he love?  In the words of John 3:16 God not only tells us WHO he loves, but he also tells us WHY he loves and HOW he loves.  It might be a little surprising because God’s love is a little different than how we often think about love.  Just look around and see the many ways that people have found to manipulate love.  You find people who have decided to redefine love as anything they feel like doing regardless of what God says about it. This is a world that is in love with itself.  Why would God love THIS loveless world?  The answer to WHY begins with a single word in John 3:16. It is the word “perish.”  God knew that that the people of his world were going to perish if he did not step in and do something.  Look at WHAT God gave you.  “For God so love the world that he gave his one and only Son…”  The great thing about God’s love is that does not depend on how you feel tonight. What makes God's love so amazing is the who he loves, the why he loves and the how he loves.  His is a love that is truly unparalleled throughout the world.   

Questions:

1.    How does think about love?

2.    How is God’s love different?

3.    Why is God’s love so very important?