Small Group Guide

# Small Group Guide: God’s Love – A “So Love”
**Based on 1 John 3:1-5, 14-16**

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## Opening Prayer
Begin by asking God to help your group understand the depth of His unconditional love and to empower you to love one another as He commands.

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## Ice Breaker
Share a time when someone showed you unexpected love or acceptance when you didn’t deserve it. How did it make you feel?

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## Key Scripture Passages
– **1 John 3:1** – “Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!”
– **1 John 3:14-15** – “We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren.”
– **John 3:16** – “For God SO loved the world…”
– **John 13:34-35** – “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another.”

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## Main Takeaways

### 1. **God’s Love is Unconditional (Agape Love)**
– Unlike conditional loves (eros – physical, philia – friendship), God’s agape love is completely unconditional
– It cannot be earned, purchased, or lost
– God loves us before, during, and after our sins

### 2. **Loving Others is a Commandment, Not a Choice**
– We are commanded to love one another (John 13:34-35)
– Hatred toward a brother/sister is equated with murder (1 John 3:15)
– Love is how people will know we are Christians

### 3. **Our Identity is in Christ Alone**
– We are children of God (1 John 3:1-2)
– We are washed, sanctified, and justified (1 Corinthians 6:9-11)
– Our identity is not based on our work, generation, politics, or issues
– God sees us “just as if we’ve never sinned” through Jesus’ blood

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## Discussion Questions

### Understanding God’s Love
1. What does it mean that God’s love is “bestowed lavishly” on us? How does this differ from human love?

2. Why is it so difficult for us to truly believe that God loves us unconditionally, even when we sin?

3. Read 1 John 3:1. What does it mean to be “called children of God”? How should this identity shape our daily lives?

### Loving One Another
4. Pastor Bill said loving others is a “commandment, not a choice.” Why is this such a challenging teaching?

5. Discuss the statement: “Whoever hates his brother is a murderer” (1 John 3:15). What does it mean to “ignore as if death”? Have you ever been guilty of this?

6. What are some practical barriers that prevent us from loving other believers? (Different backgrounds, offenses, personality differences, etc.)

7. How can we love someone unconditionally when they’ve hurt us or when we simply don’t like them?

### Identity in Christ
8. What are some false identities people build their lives on? (Work, politics, generation, problems, etc.)

9. Read 1 Corinthians 6:9-11. What does it mean that we “were” these things but are no longer? How does this change how we see ourselves?

10. Pastor Bill mentioned that we may still struggle with issues even while being victorious in Christ. How do we reconcile ongoing struggles with our identity as “overcomers”?

11. How does the enemy attack our identity? How did Jesus respond when Satan questioned His identity in Matthew 4?

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## Personal Reflection Questions
*(Allow 3-5 minutes of silence for individual reflection)*

1. Is there someone in my life (in church or outside) that I’ve been ignoring, avoiding, or treating with conditional love?

2. What false identity have I been believing about myself? (Labels like “depressed,” “anxious,” “failure,” etc.)

3. Do I truly believe God loves me unconditionally right now, in my current state?

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## Practical Applications

### This Week’s Challenge: Choose ONE to focus on

**Option 1: Love the “Difficult” Person**
– Identify one person you find difficult to love
– Pray for them daily this week
– Reach out with one act of kindness (text, call, coffee invitation)
– Ask God to baptize you in His love for them

**Option 2: Declare Your True Identity**
– Write down 5-10 truths about who you are in Christ
– Speak these aloud each morning this week
– When negative thoughts come, combat them with Scripture

**Option 3: Specific Prayer for Love**
– Following the sermon’s teaching on specific prayer:
– Pray specifically that you would KNOW God loves you
– Pray specifically that you would LOVE others unconditionally
– Journal any changes you notice in your heart

**Option 4: Reconciliation**
– If the Holy Spirit brings someone to mind you’ve “murdered” (ignored, pushed away, cut off), reach out this week to reconcile

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## Group Activity: “So Love” Declarations

Go around the circle and have each person complete these sentences:

1. “God SO loves me, which means…”
2. “Because God SO loves me, I can SO love _____________ (name someone difficult)”
3. “My true identity is…”

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## Closing Discussion

1. What was the most challenging part of this sermon for you?

2. What is one specific way you will live differently this week based on what we discussed?

3. How can we pray for each other regarding loving others and embracing our identity in Christ?

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## Prayer Time

**Group Prayer Focus:**
– Thank God for His unconditional, “so love” for each person
– Ask God to baptize the group in His love
– Pray for specific people each member finds difficult to love
– Pray for freedom from false identities and full embrace of who we are in Christ
– Pray for CCWC to be known by its love

**Close with this declaration together:**
*”I am a blood-bought, born-again, Spirit-filled believer in Jesus Christ. I am washed, sanctified, and justified. God sees me just as if I’ve never sinned. I am loved unconditionally, and I choose to love others the same way.”*

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## Memory Verse for the Week
**1 John 3:1** – “Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!”

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## Looking Ahead
Next week, bring examples of how you saw God’s love working through you or how your perspective on your identity changed.

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## Additional Resources
– Continue reading through 1 John this week
– Reflect on Romans 8:31-39 (nothing can separate us from God’s love)
– Consider keeping a “love journal” tracking moments when you chose to love unconditionally

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**Leader Tip:** This topic can bring up deep emotions and past hurts. Create a safe space for vulnerability, but don’t force sharing. Be prepared to pray with individuals after the group if needed.