Key Idea: to love others well, we must first look to Christ.
1. A Christ-Centered standard of love: A love that imitates Christ
A Christ-centered love does not limit WHO we love : from beloved to betrayer
A Christ-centered love does not limit HOW we love: from the mundane to the monumental
2. A Christ-Centered source of love: A love that begins with Christ
Jesus deals with the sin that devastates
Repentance brings us to Christ in humble dependence, inviting his grace to transform our hearts.
Jesus draws our gaze upward By looking at Christ, we make sense of our world by making Jesus our reference point.
By looking at Christ, we fuel our faith and worship.
Think vertically first by having Gospel truth ready to mediate on when you are tempted to think poorly of a particular person rather than love them.
3. A Christ-Centered message from love: A love that preaches Christ
James Boice, “The person who is born of God is a window through which the love of God shines into the world.” If your life is preaching a sermon about God in your workplace, in your homes, and with your friends… what do you think the message is?
