Joining the Overflowing Love Study

There is no charge for joining the overflowing love study. You will be able to answer the weekly prompts using the calendar and mini-kit provided. To participate join our Facebook Group – Bible Journaling for Beginners and search for “#LoveStudy” to find the weekly prompts. To join the group click here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/BibleJournalingforBeginners.

There are multiple options to do the study. The devotional and kits are designed to help you take a deeper dive into the Word and start applying biblical principles to your life. They are not required, but they’re a fun way to grow in the Word creatively!

• Join Momentum – Momentum members get just about everything for only $25/month. Click here to learn more.
• Subscribe to the 2018 kits – New for 2018! You can get all of the 2018 devotionals and their corresponding kit as they release for only $52. That’s $1/Week. You also get the How to Study Bible Topics Guide and worksheets Click here to purchase.
• Purchase the kit by itself –New for 2018! Purchase the Renew devotional and kit for only $7. You’ll also get the How to Study Bible Topics Guide and worksheets. Click here to purchase.
• Free option – To get the calendar and free mini-kit for Renew, please scroll to the bottom of this article and register for our emails before January 31, 2018. If you are on the email list and haven’t received it, please check your spam!

Leviticus 19:18 states, “You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself. I am Yahweh.”

The Bible commands Christians to love your neighbor as yourself, but sometimes that can be difficult for many reasons. Maybe you don’t know what love is because your view of love comes from the world. Perhaps you’ve experienced hurt or you feel that despite your best efforts,  your neighbor is simply unlovable. Maybe you don’t love yourself and find it hard to do for others what you can’t do for yourself. Whatever the reason, I encourage you to dive deep into this month’s study so that you might both experience and share the greatness of our God’s overflowing love.

What is Love?

Before you can begin to love others, you must first understand what love is. The easy answer can be found in 1 John 4:8. God is love. When you read 1 John 4:7-21, you discover a love that is so deep there are no English words to describe it.

Dictionary.com defines Love as:

1. a profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person.
2. a feeling of warm personal attachment or deep affection, as for a parent, child, or friend.
3. sexual passion or desire.

None of the definitions above describe the love displayed in 1 John. The best way to describe this is to look at the Greek word Agape.

Agape love is unlike any love you’ve ever experienced. It’s the most self-sacrificing love there is. I simply can’t describe it in any way besides saying that it’s greater than the love that I have for my children, which is truly deep. I am so thankful that God loves me and you with agape love. I receive His love with thanks and work daily to show my love to others.

Tips for Learning How to Give Overflowing Love

Loving others, especially people that make it hard to love them, isn’t easy. Love doesn’t mean that you allow yourself to be a doormat or abused. It means that you do your best with what you have and rely on God to direct your path. Sometimes the best I can do to show someone I love them is to walk away and take a different path. As you begin to work through your heart consider these tips for love.

1. Love God

Before you begin to love, I believe that you first must love God, then yourself. God is always first in my life, so he comes first.

I show God love through my acceptance of Jesus Christ as my savior. My relationship with God involves prayer, worship, conversations, spending time in the Word, listening to the Holy Spirit, discerning His will, giving, serving, and taking action when the time comes (to name a few).

2. Believe That You Are Loved

To love God is to believe that He loves you. God is not like us. He is perfect, holy, loving and just. He has shown you agape love through the sacrifice of Jesus so that you can have a relationship with Him.

3. Love Yourself

Loving God means that you love the person he made you to be. Take care of yourself, ask for forgiveness for your sins, and work to be a better person each and every day.  The Bible has so many wonderful Scriptures and instruction for your life. Start there. Don’t forget that while you’re asking for forgiveness from God, that you must also forgive yourself. You are not perfect, but thank goodness Jesus is.

4. Find a Mentor

Find someone who you believe does a great job at loving others and spend some time with her. Find a mentor in the Bible as well. Jesus is a wonderful mentor when it comes to love. There are so many verses in the Bible that show his miracles, compassion, and love for others.

5. Love the Unlovable

Loving the unlovable is hard for me, and I suspect it is for most people. Our world is full of “me first”, “me too”, and “me..me..me”. It’s heartbreaking. When someone steps on me, uses me, says hateful things to me, or hurts me, it’s hard to turn the other cheek. (Matthew 5:38-40) Sometimes the best thing I can do is walk away. (Proverbs 27:12) Healthy boundaries are a good thing!

Note: If you are experiencing abuse, please get help locally or nationally. While I believe that Jesus’ teachings mean that we depend on God rather than human weapons, I also believe that God will raise up those to fight oppressors.

6. Practice Love

Practice makes purpose! Here are 40 practical things you can do to show someone overflowing love:

1. Choose compassion over judgment
2. Forgive those who have wronged you
3. Help those who need help
4. Feed the hungry
5. Provide clothing to those who have none
6. Help provide clean water to those who have none
7. Support a homeless shelter
8. Comfort and provide for the sick
9. Pray for those in prison
10. Sincerely compliment someone every day
11. Look up, notice, and talk to the people who isolate themselves from members of the community, church, or school
12. Say thank you to the people who serve you (like the grocery store clerk, postal carrier, or fire fighter)
13. Say please
14. Talk to your neighbor
15. Tell your child’s teacher that you appreciate him or her
16. Donate items to a shelter or charity
17. Authentically tell someone they’re doing a good job (when they are)
18. Tell someone who made a difference in your life what they did
19. Teach someone a skill
20. Send someone a card to let them know you care
21. Volunteer at a shelter
22. Donate to a charity
23. Take care of the neighbor’s dog when they’re out of town
24. Roll the neighbors trash back to their house after pickup
25. Help a family in financial need with groceries or utilities
26. Have dinner as a family every night this week.
27. Give up your seat for someone else
28. Say hi to people and engage in conversation
29. Pass out water or food to the homeless
30. Mentor someone
31. Donate blood
32. Volunteer at church or in your community
33. Pick up the trash or doggie droppings from your neighbor’s yard
34. Post something positive or encouraging on social media
35. Defend someone who’s been wronged
36. Foster or adopt a child
37. Open the door for others
38. Let someone go before you in line
39. Listen to someone who’s going through a difficult time
40. Teach your children to love by first being a good example

There are so many ways to show love. These are just a few. What are your favorite ways to show others overflowing love?

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