"She Loves"

Last week we discussed what it means to be the change and how we can be change agents by speaking up and by making changes in our own lives, by overcoming the things that limit or distract us from making personal changes.

This week we are discussing "She Loves".

How can we increase our love for others?

What does the word of God tel us about how we are to love?

1 John has a great deal to say on love. It's worth a read if you want to get God's heart on love.

Here's some other verses that underscore everything we will discuss today.

Romans 12:9
Don't just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good.

1 John 3:18:20
Little children let us not love by word and by mouth but in deed and in truth. By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our hearts before him. (RSV)
(NLT) Dear Children, let's not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions.

Romans 5:8
But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.

Galatians 5:13-14
For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don't use your freedom to satisfy our sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love. For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: "love your neighbour as yourself."

Ephesians 5:2
Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us an offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to god.

Paul goes on to say in Galatians that love is a fruit of the Spirit within us. The more we allow the love of God in pour lives, and allow his Spirit to be at work in us, the more love will become an obvious fruit of our lives.

Jesus anointed by a sinful woman - Luke 7:36-48
We all owe a debt that only Jesus can forgive - in fact he has already paid for the price for it.

We are then encouraged to not have any debts except for the debt to love.

Romans 13:8
Owe nothing to anyone - except for your obligation to love one another. If you love your neighbour, you will fulfil the requirements of God's law.

WE are to love:
Each other
in the way Jesus loves us:
John 13:34-35 - "Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples"

To love others:
(even when it is not easy)
as we love ourselves.
We want to look after ourselves, therefor we choose to obey by loving those around us. 

1 Corinthians 13
Love is:
Patient
Kind
Never gives up
Never loses faith
Always hopeful
Endures through every circumstance

Love is not:
Boastful
Proud

This is a great list of how love works.

How are we going on the love scales?

If we were to measure ourselves, how would we do?

What would you like to do more of, to love others more fully?

What areas of loving others do you struggle with?

2 Timothy 1:7
For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of lover, power, and self - discipline

Hebrews 10:24
Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works

Our love should prompt us to do good works. We do not receive love because of the good works, rather the good works are a natural outcome of love for God and love for others

Love does not ignore wrongs, love forgives wrongs and does not hold it against people.

Peter says love covers a multitude of sins

1 Peter 4:8
Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins.

That does not mean sweeping it under the carpet, it means loving in a way that the wrongs of others do not change how you treat them or how you love them.

Love always wants the best so this means sometimes making hard and difficult decisions because what is best is not always easy.

For those of us who have kids - giving in sometimes seems to be the easy way for peace and quiet, but long term, it is not loving - because love also teaches discipline.

God disciplines us because he loves us, Hebrews 12:6;' we discipline our kids because we love them.

What about other people, well good boundaries help us love in a way that is best for the person.

A simple check. Is this something they could or should be doing for themselves?

If so, maybe it's time to step back a little and let them feel the consequence - this is also love.

What would you like to take away from todays discussion?
What is God speaking to you about?
How will you put that into practice in your life this week?

She is the Change

She Loves, She Cares, She Does, She is the change.

Prov 31 Woman is a great example of a woman who is being the change in here sphere of influence - we will look more at her over the coming weeks.

Was going to start with She Loves, but I think She is the change is the first message. How is she the change - She loves, She cares, She does.

What does it mean to be the change in the world?

We live in a world where there are so many things going on in the world. It's easy to focus on the negative things that are happening - the terrorism, the hatred, the sin we see.

But God calls us to see the world differently - not to ignore what is going on but to see it differently and to react differently.

Roman 4 - God is able to bring the dead to life etc. He is able to make a way where there seems no way.

Romans 4:16-17New Living Translation (NLT)
16 So the promise is received by faith. It is given as a free gift. And we are all certain to receive it, whether or not we live according to the law of Moses, if we have faith like Abraham’s. For Abraham is the father of all who believe. 17 That is what the Scriptures mean when God told him, “I have made you the father of many nations.”[a] This happened because Abraham believed in the God who brings the dead back to life and who creates new things out of nothing.

(Even when there was no reason to hope, Abraham kept on hoping - believing he would become the Father of many nations. For God had said to him, "That's how many descendants you will have!")

We are a community of women, a community of faith, called to trust god in difficult times, to think differently to the world around us and to act according to God's promise and not the external circumstances.

Romans 12:1-2 New Living Translation (NLT)
A Living Sacrifice to God

12 And so, dear brothers and sisters,[a] I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.[b] 2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

Behaviour of the world - tends to negative thinking, problems etc.

We are to see the world differently, to get God's perspective and to think differently - we are to think like God does - and to live out of the promise of God. This means making a decision that we will think about the way we think, make necessary changes and step out into what may seem an impossibility.

We are to see the possibilities that God places before us and to be the change to bring Jesus into those situations  - to love, to care, to do.

We are called to live our lives differently to others, not just living each day in a blur (although sometimes this is all we can manage!!) but to live each day with purpose and direction.

Finding God's purpose and direction for our lives leads us on a journey of change.
Change in self
seeing our world differently
changing attitudes

Then embarking on a journey of change that involves productive activity in our environment
pursuing purpose with determination
Stepping out in faith
Living with transition and uncertainty but excitement - no boring days!!

If God has called you to do it, it won't be difficult, it will be impossible (for us) - Christine Cain

But with God, all things are possible.

Definition of Change for our purposes.
Started with  dictionary.com

Change - verb (used without object), changed, changing.                  
10.  to become different:               

11.  to become altered or modified:               

12.  to become transformed or converted (usually followed by into):               

13.  to pass gradually into (usually followed by to or into):

14.  to switch or to make an exchange:              

Change - noun                  
19.  the act or fact of changing; fact of being changed:               
.
20.  a transformation or modification; alteration:               

21.  a variation or deviation:               

22.  the substitution of one thing for another:               

23.  Variety or Novelty
 
24.  the passing from one place, state, form, or phase to another:    

The key thing to be aware of is that change of a situation, or change of self, requires action on our part:
To change a behaviour as we grow in Character
Know what God is asking you to change
Share it with someone to be accountable
Do what you know God is asking you to do
To change a situation as we are able
Learn about the issues related to the situation
Be informed - not just Facebook informed
look for proper papers
Books
Academic writing
Trusted articles
Know what we can do
Do something
Keep learning and doing

2 really practical ways

1. Speak up
Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves.

Be active - what area of life grabs your heart, your passion, your emotion - get involved and speak up when others can't.

Proverbs 31:8-9New Living Translation (NLT)
8 Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves;
    ensure justice for those being crushed.
9 Yes, speak up for the poor and helpless,
    and see that they get justice.

What are you passionate about?

Say something
Ways to say something
Get yourself on the radio - Say it nicely if firmly
Think about what you want to say
learn how to say it well
Write a letter or an email - same rules apply
To the government
Your local member, council etc.
The newspaper
Start a blog

Actually there are lots of ways to say something

Dietrich Bonhoeffer - to remain silent is to be complicit

On April 9,1945, Bonhoeffer was killed at a concentration camp—just a few months after his 39th birthday. But his legacy continues. Even today, 71 years after his death, Bonhoeffer’s life is a challenge to us all to pursue justice even when it’s not popular, to care for and defend the persecuted and to relentlessly follow God’s leading
http://www.relevantmagazine.com/culture/books/12-essential-bonhoeffer-quotes#iSwElMl5wrGWwFfV.99

“Silence in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.” - Dietrich Bonhoeffer
http://www.relevantmagazine.com/culture/books/12-essential-bonhoeffer-quotes#iSwElMl5wrGWwFfV.99

(Find a good example - In Acts, we see the food program for the poor - how can we extend what we are doing to help those around us live more fulfilled lives)

Where might you be able to volunteer your time? Make something

2. Get involved
There are many great causes, that's why it's important to know:
what you are passionate about
what is important to you
What time you can give to it - be realistic
Who you can partner with

God has given each one of us different gifts and talents - we can ignore them or use them - (the choice and the consequences are ours)

What limitations have you placed on yourself that have stopped you from getting involved somewhere?

What distracts you from getting involved somewhere?

Think about what is really important to you. Is this al; so important to someone else? How can we work together and help facilitate speaking up and getting involved?

Conclusion

Being the change isn't meant to be comfortable:
it is meant to be active and proactive
it is meant to make a difference.

Maybe you want to make some personal changes first
go ahead
we will work with you
coach you and encourage you to do so.

(Come see me if this is you and we will facilitate that.)

What is one thing you could do this week to get yourself started on the path of" She is the Change"?