1. Love God, Love People
Mark 12:28-34

2. The Meaning of Life
28 One of the scribes came and heard them arguing, and recognizing that He had answered them well, asked Him, “What commandment is the foremost of all?” 29 Jesus answered, “The foremost is, ‘HEAR, O ISRAEL! THE Lord OUR GOD IS ONE LORD; 30 AND YOU SHALL LOVE THE Lord YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH.’

3. The Meaning of Life
31 The second is this, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:28-31)

4. Love God, Love People
28 One of the scribes came and heard them arguing, and recognizing that He had answered them well, asked Him, “What commandment is the foremost of all?” 29 Jesus answered, “The foremost is, ‘HEAR, O ISRAEL! THE Lord OUR GOD IS ONE LORD; 30 AND YOU SHALL LOVE THE Lord YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH.’” (Mark 12:28-30)

5. Love God “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.” (John 14:15)
“‘…YOU SHALL LOVE THE Lord YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH.’” (Mark 12:30)

6. Shane and Shane

7. Love People
“The second is this, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:31)

8. Love People
7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8 The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 9 By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His one and only Son into the world so that we might live through Him. 10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. (1 John 4:7-11)

9. Love People
20 If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. 21 And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brother also. (1 John 4:20-21)

10. Love People
“The second is this, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF...’” (Mark 12:31)

11. Love People
We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. (1 John 3:16)
Jesus said in “This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you.” (John 15:12)

12. Love People
But now faith, hope, love, these three remain; but the greatest of these is love. (1 Corinthians 13:13)
“I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you…” (Matthew 5:44)

13. Love People
4 Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, 5 does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, 6 does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth… (1 Corinthians 13:4-6)

14. Love People
Above all, be zealous in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins. (1 Peter 4:8)
“By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:35)

15. Love People We love, because He first loved us. (1 John 4:19)
1 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; 2 and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma. (Ephesians 5:1-2)
We love, because He first loved us. (1 John 4:19)

16. Ceremonial vs. Relational
32 The scribe said to Him, “Right, Teacher; You have truly stated that HE IS ONE, AND THERE IS NO ONE ELSE BESIDES HIM; 33 AND TO LOVE HIM WITH ALL THE HEART AND WITH ALL THE UNDERSTANDING AND WITH ALL THE STRENGTH, AND TO LOVE ONE’S NEIGHBOR AS HIMSELF, is much more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.” (Mark 12:32-33)

17. Not Far
When Jesus saw that he had answered intelligently, He said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” After that, no one would venture to ask Him any more questions. (Mark 12:34)

18. Action Steps
1. Learn about love in the Bible.

19. Action Steps 2. Experience God’s love.
“If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.” (John 15:10)
3. Love God by renewing your commitment to obeying His Word.
“If you love me, you will obey my commandments.” (John 14:15)

20. Action Steps
4. Be proactive in loving people. 5. Let go of hurts, unforgiveness, and bitterness.

21. Love God, Love People
Mark 12:28-34