Pastor Kevin Butcher As children of God, we are loved by Him but deep down, do we believe that is true of us? This week, Pastor Kevin Butcher dives into the way that God loves us.
Passage | John 13:34-35
John 13:34-35 ESV
[34] A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. [35] By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
Discussion Questions
Read John 13:34-35
Read this aloud to your group: This was a deeply personal talk. The only way to discuss this with each other is to be willing to dive deep with each other. It’s a part of what this passage says about loving each other. So be willing to go deeper than might feel comfortable. Listen well to each other, without judgment. Let this be a safe space to share your experiences about the love of God.
What has happened in your life that has affected your ability to experience God’s love?
What are some of the hurts and disappointments that affect you?
What are healthy examples of love that help you? Down deep, do YOU know that God loves YOU? Talk about why you answered the way you did.
Here are the signals that may demonstrate that you are struggling with the love of God:
You don’t know who you are as one deeply loved by God or your secretly hate who you are.
You are tormented by voices from your childhood.
You are constantly looking for approval from others.
You are often critical of others or assigning standards to others.
You have difficulty in relationships, struggle to experience intimacy, and have a sense of emptiness.
You can’t find inner peace and are always looking for the “next” thing
Pick one that resonates with you. Where do you think that comes from? What happened in your life that causes you to default to this method of coping?
How would that change if you knew and experienced today how deeply God loves you?
Do you have someone in your life that can be a healthy father or mother figure and love you like God loves you?
For those that do have that, who is it and how did you get connected to them?
For those that don’t have that kind of person, consider approaching someone who you feel you can trust and ask them to help you learn how to experience God’s love.
Pray that you would set aside the pain and incorrect thoughts of how God feels about you and you would embrace the reality of how deeply he loves you. Lament the inability to experience his love and then turn consciously toward your heavenly Father and ask him to help you experience his love more fully.