Trail Life Troop
NC-613
Devotional – Love
Opening
- Today we learned about our American Culture. Let’s see what the Bible says about Christian Culture?
- Read, or someone read the Teaching verse. FYI: The memory verse is further down
Mattew 22:39: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
Devotional
Big picture Our love defines us as Christians.
- Q: Does anyone know what Jesus says are the two greatest commandments?
- In Matthew 22:37 Jesus says they are: #1 Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and #2 Love your neighbor as yourself.
- Q: Why does Jesus put loving God first before loving others? God tells us we can love others only because God loves us first. And that God is love. So, God’s love shows us how to love our neighbors.
- Q: When Jesus says love your neighbor, who is that neighbor? It’s everyone, not just people who live next door. He means love everyone you meet, everywhere, all the time. That is Christian Culture!
- The Bible says, people will know us as Christians by how well we love others, even our enemies.
- God created everyone, didn’t He? Not everyone is a Christian, but He created us all. In God’s image. That means every person has a little bit of God in them. Every single person. No matter their skin color, size, shape, language, religion, or even how nicely they treat you. You are to love others (remember second commandment) as much as you love yourself. That is hard to do, but God says we must.
- Jesus loves everyone even if they don’t love Him. He wants everyone to know and love Him.
- America has lots of different people in it. But God looks at what’s inside a person and not their outside.
- People may eat different food or talk differently than us, but we are to treat them no differently than anyone else. We are all the same on the inside.
- And by loving others well, you show them God’s love and can help them become Christians too because they will want to be like you and they will appreciate your love for them. Love makes people feel good.
- Speaking of feeling good: everybody loves American Culture. But not everyone loves others like they love themself like we as Christians should do.
- Christian Culture is loving God and loving others, even those different from you or even your enemies.
- There is a big difference between American Culture and Christian Culture. As Christians, we should act like a Christian.
Memory Verse #2
Ask if anybody knows it yet and can say it? Read it together 2X Consider having a memory verse pamphlet for kids take home.
Proverbs 30:5 Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.
Topical Questions
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Has anyone ever loved your enemy? Was that an easy or hard thing to do?
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The Bible tells us not to treat people differently. Have you ever been treated differently?
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The Bible says we must treat people the way we want to be treated. Does anyone have an example?
Closing Prayer
Dear Lord, we thank You for loving us so much. Your love teaches us how to love others. Help us to take all Your love stored up inside us and to give some of it away by loving others that are different from us. Help us to be patient and understanding of those different from us. Help us to remember everyone is made in Your image so they carry some of You, God, inside them. So of course we should treat everyone kindly, just like Jesus did. In Jesus’ name. Amen!
