Text: 1 Corinthians 13:7

"Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."

Introduction:

Nietzsche & Nashville

Loyalty: An essential ingredient of godly love

The pain of disloyalty

The promise of God’s loyalty

The beauty of Ruth, Jonathan, etc… 

Exposition:

This verse proactively handles four common causes of disloyalty:

Sin vs. “Bears all things”

Slander vs. “Believes all things”

Set backs vs. “Hopes all things.”

Suffering vs. “Endures all things.”

Review:

Godly love is loyal

If you experience the pain of disloyalty, God is doing three things:

Showing you who people really are

Showing you he will never leave you nor forsake you

Making you value the importance loyal love in your own life

Loyalty is tested by sin, but love bears or covers sin.

Loyalty is tested by slander, but love believes the best.

Loyalty is tested by setbacks, but love has hope to sustain itself

Loyalty is tested by suffering, but love endures

Christology:

Jesus is the most betrayed person to have ever lived.

Jesus is the most loyal person to have ever lived.

Has he stopped loving you when you sinned?

Has he believed the devil’s slander about you?

Had he held out hope for you amidst your various setbacks?

Did he shrink back from suffering for you?

Discussion Questions:

Look up all the scriptures listed and pick one that stands out to you

Read the text out loud to the group

Retell it in your own words

What does this tell me about God?

What does this tell me about people?

What does this suggest I should do?

Who else in my life would benefit from hearing about this?

 Rhythms, Repairs, & Reaches

Also be prepared to discuss the following each Community Group:

Rhythms: How are the basic rhythms of your life (Family time, time with God, sleep, fitness, etc...)

Repairs: Is there anything in your life/heart that needs to be healed, attended to, fixed in any way

Reaches: Do you have anything big coming up? Any dreams? Any long range plans or hopes we can pray for?