"Becoming Myself: The One Who Loves You"
Hear 0 Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; you shall love the Lord your God with
all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength. You
shall love your neighbor as yourself. Mark 11:29-31.
1. Text: Luke 15:11-32
2. One of the most often quoted phrases from scripture is, "God is love " What does that
phrase mean to you?
3. Jesus told the story of the Father and his two sons, one the "Prodigal" and the other the
"Elder." With which of the characters in this story do you most closely identify?
4. The most important message of this story is that God loves us. Do you agree with that
point or not? What evidence is there to suggest that God does love us? What evidence is
there to the contrary?
5. Do you think it is realistic for human beings to learn to love in the way that God loves"
6. It is said that Abraham Lincoln was once asked how he would treat the South after the
Civil War, and his reply was: "I will treat them as if they had never been away." How
does that attitude seem similar to the attitude of the Father?
7. What are some ways in which you have been unconditionally loved? What are some
ways in which you have been able to exhibit that love to others?
8. What are some of the obstacles to loving unconditionally?
9. It is commonly understood that those who have not been loved by others, especially
parents and other significant figures, have a hard time learning to love and learning to
accept God's love. What are some ways that we can teach love of others and love of God
to each other?
10. We are called to love God and others because God first loved us. How can you make this
reality a strong and present focus for your daily life?
Week of September 23,2007
The Village Church, Rancho Santa Fe
The Rev. Dr. Jack W. Baca | 