Our September series is looking at how we cultivate Kingdom priorities…

5 September 2021 - 11am Service

First Things First Series

This month, we’re taking some time to reflect on the priorities in our lives and how they affect our walk with God. This week, Dave is looking at what it means to really love God.

You can go deeper with this topic on your own or in your small group using the discussion notes below.

DISCUSSION NOTES

Read: Matthew 22:34-40 and Deuteronomy 6:1-7

Our preaching series was originally called ‘Big Rocks’ after the well-known visual aid about prioritising things. If you have some sand, pebbles and big stones to fit into a limited container, you need to get the big rocks in for everything to fit. (Why not try it out as an experiment?). What are the big rocks, the key priorities in our lives?

Jesus was asked that question, ‘What is the greatest commandment?’. He responded by quoting from Deuteronomy 6 , the Shema that Jewish people would recite every day. ‘Love God’ is an imperative not a noun!

What does it tell us about Christianity that the greatest command is to love God, not to obey God? What does that tell us about God’s priorities?
How do you love God who you haven’t seen? How do you know that you do? (John 14:23)
How do we express love to God collectively as a Church as well as individually? How do those two dynamics affect one another? What does it mean to love God concretely, with our whole being, not just abstractly- as a lovely thought?
If love is something we can to some degree choose to do, with an element of ‘will’ as well as ‘emotion’ how do we cultivate love for God in our lives?
What are God’s ‘love languages’ do you think?

While God’s love for us is describes as never failing our own Love for God can be more unstable? What do you think the role of the Holy Spirit is in helping us love God with our whole being?