Made for Relationship: Loving God

In one paragraph

Brad opened with the great commandment from Matthew 22, and built the whole message around one claim: we were made for relationship, first with God and then with each other. He said that getting that relationship right requires repairing three things, our image of God, our understanding of what love actually is, and our sense of where our identity comes from. Next week he plans to turn to the...

Read together

1. 1 Peter 5:7 opening song introduction, cast all your cares on him because he cares for you
2. Psalm 16:11 sung during worship, you make known to me the path of life, in your presence fullness of joy
3. 2 Corinthians 9 theme verse for giving, not reluctantly or under compulsion but cheerfully
4. Matthew 22:36-38 key text, the greatest commandment to love God and neighbor
5. Genesis 1:27 supporting text, God created man in his image, male and female
6. Genesis 3:8-9 supporting text, man and wife hid from God and God called out where are you
7. Romans 5:8 while we were still sinners Christ died for us, God demonstrates his love
8. John 3 Jesus telling Nicodemus we must be born again
9. John 14 if you love me you will keep my commands
10. 1 Corinthians 13 referenced as detailing aspects of love
11. 1 John 4 God's love poured out was not temporary but permanent and personal
12. John 15:5 I am the vine you are the branches, apart from me you can do nothing, abide
13. Revelation 21 the tabernacle of God among his people, no more mourning or crying or pain
14. Romans 8:15-16 closing benediction, adopted as God's children, we call him Abba Father

Talk about it

1. Brad said there is a big difference between knowing God and knowing about him, comparing someone with an advanced theology degree to a child learning 'Jesus Loves Me.' Where do you find yourself on that spectrum right now, and what has shaped that?
2. Brad described a feeling that he had to earn the right to be loved, and that his worth was tied to his usefulness. Have you experienced something similar, and how has that showed up in the way you relate to God?
3. Brad said our quiet times are not meant to achieve anything but to receive the grace of God, and that hurry is the opposite of abiding. What does your own quiet time actually look like, and does it feel more relational or more performative?
4. Brad asked the question: do you believe God rejoices in you and delights in seeing what you create, the way he delighted in Adam? What makes that easy or hard to believe on a gut level?
5. Brad pointed out that we tend to anchor our identity in things that can be taken away, like a job, a role, or a relationship, and that this leads to disproportionate reactions when those things are threatened. Where do you notice yourself doing that, and what would it look like to root your identity more fully in being a child of God?