Loving God
Speaker Dr. SJ Bowers, Pastor Emeritus EMBC
Title: Loving God! Text:Matthew 22:34-40
Subject: God Theme: Loving God
FCF: We need God’s love
Sermon Study Questions
Matthew 22:34-40
Purpose: To challenge us to seek a deeper level of commitment to spiritual intimacy with the Lord Jesus.
Without the love of God the human soul becomes bitter and fearful, selfish and callous. And if you think that you see a lot of those kinds of people in the world today you are right. And the reason is that the love of God has been shut out of so many hearts and minds. And that is where we come in as the people of God. We have given the task of being the pipeline thru which the love of God can flow into this love starved world. Jesus explained to the Jews of His day that the Law of God was not setup to make man act in the right way , it was designed to make man love in the right way. Jesus told those experts on the law of God that God’s law was designed to exhort them to come to the place where they needed to be most, walking in the midst of God’s love and sharing that love with one another. That was the greatest commandment because that is man’s greatest need , to be in the midst of God’s love. If we are anywhere else we are in extreme danger. Because God’s love is our greatest need , we must love Him with our total being. Heart mind and soul!
1. What did the sermon say to you?
Understanding The Text
2. Read Matthew 22:34-40 What stands out to you in this passage?
3. What does v. 37 teach us about God’s character?
4. In v. 39 what does it mean to love your neighbor as yourself?
Why is this command second instead of first?
5. Look at the other Bible passages in this lesson.Tell what each passage tells us about how to love God.
• Proverbs 3:5-6
• If we love God, we will ______ Him.
• John 14:23
• If we love God, we will ______ Him.
• John 13:34
• If we love God, we will ______ Him.
• Isaiah 26:3
• If we love God, we will find ______ in Him.
Applying The Text
6. Name four (4) of the personal sacrifices that God asks of us if we love Him.
• We must dedicate our ______to _______ Him.
• Explain what this means to you.
• We must dedicate our ______to _______ Him.
• Explain what this means to you.
• We must dedicate our ______to _______ Him.
• Explain what this means to you.
• We must dedicate our ______to _______ Him.
• Explain what this means to you.
Owning The Text
7. Why is it important to God that you have love in your heart?
8. If you learned what God wants you to learn from Matt 22:34-40, how would it impact those around you?
9. What should be your first step toward learning how to love?
Sermon Study Questions. Copyright 2012 by Rev. S. J. Bowers