by Erin Bird
Hope your week is going well. Last week, I asked for your input on what kind of content you wanted on the blog. Thanks to everyone who shared their ideas! (If you didn't share your ideas, it's not too late. I kept the survey open, so please give a couple of minutes to share your ideas of what would make this blog most helpful to you.)
A couple of you indicated through the survey you enjoyed how we went deeper with the Sunday sermon during the Disciplined series on spiritual disciplines here on the Riverwood blog. I'm glad to hear this! This is a big reason why our Growth Groups spend time studying the passage from the previous Sunday in greater depth.
Because our Growth Groups spend time discussing the sermon from Sunday, I don't plan to use the blog to go into greater depth every week. But I can't help myself this week, because in my Monday night Growth Group, my wife, LeAnn, shared an amazing profound thought about 1 John I want to share with you.
As we were using the Growth Group Discussion Guide to discuss the opening section of 1 John, I couldn't help but tell my Group that as I've been studying for this series, it's really stood out to me how much John not only talks about love, but really seems to love his readers. As I said this, LeAnn audibly said, "huh!" as if a lightbulb just went off in her brain. So I asked if she had just had a thought or insight.
LeAnn said, "Well, we know from John's gospel that John is known as 'the disciple Jesus loved.' I wonder if because John was so loved by Christ that he couldn't help but talk about love and shower others with love."
Wow! What a thought! And I think she's right.
Which brings up a question.
If you are a follower of Jesus, then you are also a "disciple Jesus loves." But would those around you describe you as someone marked by this love? Do your words, presence, and actions reveal the love Jesus has for you and also has for them? I know that if John's words throughout his letter reveal his love for others, I want my words (and actions) to reveal God's love as well.
So what can you do the rest of this week to let someone know you love them simply because God has lavished you with love through the Gospel? You might:
May we be people marked by love, which is made evident through the love we give them.
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