Life Group Questions - October 25th

Discussion Questions:

Opening
  1. Think about a time when someone loved you in a way that cost them something. How did that experience shape the way you understood love?
  2. The sermon opened with a long list of names and titles of God. Which one of those names resonates most with you personally right now, and why?

Digging Deeper
  1. Pastor Rino made a distinction between saying "God loves" and "God is love." Why does that difference matter? How does it change the way you think about your relationship with him?
  2. Read 1 John 4:10. The sermon emphasized that God's love was not prompted by our love for him, but by his love for us. How does this truth challenge or comfort you, especially during seasons when you feel spiritually dry or distant from God?
  3. Pastor Rino described God's love throughout history as active and intentional -- from the garden, to the tabernacle, to the incarnation of Jesus. What does this progression tell you about how seriously God pursues relationship with his people?
  4. The sermon stated, "The world will not believe that God loves sinners until they see his love at work in his children's lives." Where have you seen this proven true -- either in your own experience coming to faith or in watching someone else come to faith?
  5. Pastor Rino said that unresolved pain and hurt can poison the love we try to give, even to those closest to us, like our children. Do you agree? What has been your experience with this?

Reflection and Honesty
  1. Is there a person or a situation in your life right now where it is genuinely difficult to love? What is making it hard?
  2. Pastor Rino said, "You can't stop me from loving you. Because God in me says you can't." Is that kind of love a reality in your life, or does it still feel more like an aspiration? What is the gap between where you are and where you want to be?

Closing Prayer Focus
Close your group time by praying together over these three things:
  1. That God would deepen each member's understanding of his love as the very foundation of his nature, not just a feeling he has toward you.
  2. That the Holy Spirit would surface any area of unforgiveness or unresolved hurt that is limiting the love flowing through your life.
  3. That your group, and your church, would become a place where the world sees God's love made visible in the way his people treat one another.