1. LOVE

2. 1.Strong affection for another arising out of kinship or personal ties 2.Unselfish loyal and benevolent concern for the good of another 3.A strong positive emotion of regard and affection 4.Affection and tenderness felt by lovers 5. To like someone or something very much What is Love?

3. What Do We Love? Parents ChildrenSunshine RainFlowers WifeHusbandChocolate Red Pets Rainbow

4. Greek Words For Love Philia – Friendship; love between family or friends, a desire or enjoyment of an activity; brotherly love Storge – a natural affection, like that felt by parents for offspring; almost exclusively used to describe relationships within the family Eros – a passionate love; applies to dating relationships as well as marriage Agape – a self-sacrificing, giving love to all--both friend and enemy total commitment or self- sacrificial love for the one or thing loved

5. “So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Feed My lambs.” He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Tend My sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus said to him, “Feed My sheep.” John 21:15-17

6. “Then Jesus said to them, “All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written: ‘ I will strike the Shepherd, And the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ But after I have been raised, I will go before you to Galilee.” Peter answered and said to Him, “Even if all are made to stumble because of You, I will never be made to stumble.” Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you that this night, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” Peter said to Him, “Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!” And so said all the disciples. Matthew 26:31-35

7. “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.

8. Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.” I Corinthians 13:1-8

9. LOVE... IS PATIENT IS KIND DOES NOT ENVY DOES NOT BOAST IS NOT PROUD IS NOT RUDE IS NOT SELF SEEKING

10. LOVE... IS NOT EASILY ANGERED KEEPS NO RECORD OF WRONG DOES NOT DELIGHT IN EVIL BUT REJOICES IN TRUTH ALWAYS TRUST, BELIEVES ALL THINGS ALWAYS HOPES ALWAYS ENDURES DOES NOT FAIL

11. JESUS... IS PATIENT IS KIND DOES NOT ENVY DOES NOT BOAST IS NOT PROUD IS NOT RUDE IS NOT SELF SEEKING

12. JESUS... IS NOT EASILY ANGERED KEEPS NO RECORD OF WRONG DOES NOT DELIGHT IN EVIL BUT REJOICES IN TRUTH ALWAYS TRUST, BELIEVES ALL THINGS ALWAYS HOPES ALWAYS ENDURES DOES NOT FAIL

13. (YOUR NAME)... IS PATIENT IS KIND DOES NOT ENVY DOES NOT BOAST IS NOT PROUD IS NOT RUDE IS NOT SELF SEEKING

14. (YOUR NAME)... IS NOT EASILY ANGERED KEEPS NO RECORD OF WRONG DOES NOT DELIGHT IN EVIL BUT REJOICES IN TRUTH ALWAYS TRUST, BELIEVES ALL THINGS ALWAYS HOPES ALWAYS ENDURES DOES NOT FAIL

15. How Well Did You Do?

16. Let us grow and mature as Christians and become more Christ like each and everyday!

17. “Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:12-14

18. ARE YOU BECOMING MORE CHRIST LIKE? ARE YOU PRESSING TOWARD THE PRIZE?

19. By Bob Gard – Hollister, Missouri church of Christ www.hollisterchurchofchrist.org Adapted from lesson at www.e-devotionals.org by David Massey December 21, 2008 pmwww.hollisterchurchofchrist.orgwww.e-devotionals.org