1. Loving God

2. Mark 12:30 (NIV) ‘“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. momentum Love: desiring the best for the other

4. What is the best for God? Knowing God’s perfect heart for all and co-operating in His plan.

5. Ephesians 1:4 - 5 He created the universe as a place for us to be born, and respond to His love invitation to be adopted into His family forever, becoming like Him – He wants to fill the earth with love.

6. John 14:15 If anyone loves Me, he will obey what I command.

7. Why is it loving to obey God? Because God is love and His commands direct us to the best outcome for all.

8. Attitude to commands Attitude to commands 1. Disobey to resist interference in my plans. 2. Obey to stay out of trouble. 3. Obey to get benefits. 4. Obey to please the Father and co-operate in His wonderful plan. in His wonderful plan.

9. Know & experience God By His creation God’s invisible qualities have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made (Romans 1:19-20).

12. Know & experience God By His word Creator – children Redeemer – invitation King – imitation Judge – rewards

13. momentum But He is at heart first a Father His mercy triumphs over judgment – life is not about right and wrong but about connection with Him, with Dad.

14. Know & experience God By His Spirit Listen to Him personally and talk to Him by spending time with Him – you are unique.

15. Know & experience God In community fellowship Learning of God’s family diversity and learning to live for others and not for ourselves.

16. Matthew 25:34 - 36 For you gave Me something to eat, gave Me something to drink, invited Me in, clothed Me, looked after Me when sick, visited Me in prison.

17. Example of Jesus Christ In losing our lives for the benefit of the interests of others, we actually discover our true selves.

18. Know & experience God Bring others into the family and demonstrate His character.

19. God is love God is love ‘Love never fails.’ ‘The greatest of these is love.’ Love is a choice, not a feeling.

20. momentum GODLY = Choosing love as a character trait: intentional response to promote well - being when responding to that which has generated ill - being.

21. 1 John 4:20 - 21 (NIV) ‘If anyone says, “I love God,” yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen.’

22. Jesus simplifies the commands If anyone loves Me he will obey what I command. This is My command: Love one another as I have loved you.

23. Loving God 1. Know Him and His heart – spend time in His creation and His Word. creation and His Word. 2. Obey His commands – co-operate in His plan. 3. Spend time with Him listening and praying.

24. Loving God 4. Live for others’ interests in your community 4. Live for others’ interests in your community – assist those who are vulnerable. – assist those who are vulnerable. 5. Bring others into the family – make the invitation. invitation. 6. Choose God’s character of love, no matter what. what.