February 16 2014 Becoming A More Loving Person
/BECOMING A MORE LOVING PERSON
Galatians 5:22 –But the fruit of the Spirit is Love.
Misconceptions About Love:
- Love is a feeling.
- Love is uncontrollable.
Facts About Love:
- Love is a choice.
Colossians 3:14 – Over all these virtues, put on love which binds them all together in perfect unity.
- Love is a matter of conduct.
1 John 3:18 – Let us not love with words or tongue, but with actions and in truth.
Five Steps to Becoming a Loving Person:
Step One – Experience God’s love.
Ephesians 3:17-18 – I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your hearts, living within you, as you trust in Him May your roots go down deep into the soil of God’s marvelous love, and may you be able to feel and understand, as all God’s children should, how long, how wide, how deep and how high His love really is and to experience His love for yourself.
1 John 4:19
Step Two – Forgive your enemies.
Colossians 3:13 – Forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another.
Step Three – Think loving thoughts.
Philippians 2:4-5 – Don’t just think about your own affairs, but be interested in others too, and in what they are doing. Your attitude should be the kind that was shown us by Christ Jesus.
A fact of life: Hurt people hurt people.
Step Four – Act in loving ways.
Luke 6:27-28 – Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.
Four Ways To Act Lovingly:
- Overlook their faults.
- Do good to them.
- Bless them.
- Pray for them.
1 Corinthians 13
Step Five – Expect the best.
1 Corinthians 13:2 – You will always believe in Him, always expect the best of Him.
Taking the First Step
- Remember God loves you.
John 3:16 – For God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only Son, that whosoever believes in Him, shall have everlasting life.
- Repent and turn to God.
Acts 3:19 – Repent then, and turn to God.
- Trust Jesus for forgiveness and power.
John 1:12 – All who received Him, He gave the power to become children of God.