Loving the Church Sacrificially

John 15:12; John 13:35

​Do you know a family that you envy? A family you know well enough to see behind the “Facebook” curtain; and you want to be a part of that family because they love each other so well?  The Bible says the world knew the early believers were followers of Jesus because of the love they showed for each other. Jesus tells us we are to love each other the way he loves us! Jesus’ love was a sacrificial love, it included laying down his very life for us! While God is probably not calling most of us to lay down our actual lives, he does call us to love sacrificially. This starts with our church family. This can be hard; we already feel overextended in our lives. How do we find the time and energy to love those outside our immediate family? We are not called to do this alone, but as a unified church body. When we sacrificially give alongside others, it no longer feels like a burden, but begins to feel like a deep joy. Are we loving each other in a way that makes others want to be a part of Christ’s family?

Questions for further thought:
1. In what ways are you loving the people of your church body?
2. In what ways could you contribute to making your church body a place others will look at and want to be a part of because they see Christ’s love?

Challenge: Think of one way this week that you can show your love for your church body; take a meal to a single mom or a senior citizen, send an encouraging note to someone, etc.