1. 1 John 4:8-12- He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love
1 John 4:8-12- He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.
1 John 4: We love him, because he first loved us. If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.

2. BIBLE LOVE
1 John 4:8- LOVE IS EXPRESSED IN THE FACT THAT GOD IS LOVE AND WE HAVE A NECESSITY FOR LOVE. IF WE LOVE NOT WE DO NOT KNOW GOD.
1 John 4:9- Love from God to man expressed in the value of our souls- He gave the ultimate sacrifice in giving His Son.
1 John 4:10,11- love for us was undeserved and because He loves us we ought to love one another.

3. Our Response To Love Of God
Love God with all heart, soul and mind and neighbor as ourselves (Deut. 6:5; Lk. 10:27)
To brethren- reach out to one another as God did to us w/o consideration of what we may get back- JUST LOVE OTHERS
1 John 3:16- He laid down His life for us so we ought to lay down our lives for one another.
We live in a time when love is shown most commonly by what we can get not by how much we can give.

4. Love Expressed In Giving
John 3:16- God so loved the world that He gave His Son.
Everyone from Obama to American Idol has some kind of giving gimmick. Become a cliché and a punchline.
True giving is not for recognition. True giving shuns any recognition.
God always gives to us:
FORGIVENESS- when was the last time you needed forgiveness from Him and He did not grant it if you asked in true penitence? How often do you reflect on it
Christ is always there as the propitiation for our sins- spiritual giving is limitless with God.

5. God’s Earthly Gifts To Us
James 1:17- “every good and perfect gift is from above coming down from the Father of lights with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.”
James 1:18- “of His own will He begat us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures.”
God called us through the gospel to be the best!
He values us and knows all about us ( Luke 12:6- He knows the value of a sparrow and He values us. He wants our lives to be good (Eph. 1:3-14- every spiritual blessing in Christ.)

6. God Takes Care of Those He Loves
Romans 8:28- “all things work together for good to those who love God and those who are called according to His purposes.”
1 Cor. 13:4-8- “love suffers long…”God is so good to us!
2 Tim. 3:12- “all who will live godly will suffer persecution.” Being a Christian costs something! Are we willing to suffer anything?

7. God Keeps His Promises
Matthew 6:33- “seek first the kingdom and all these things will be added unto you.”
1 Cor. 10 :13- “there has no temptation that had taken you that is not common to man but God is faithful who will not suffer you to be tempted above what you are able, but with the temptation will provide a way of escape that ye may be able to stand.”
Try living your life with the assurance of these two promises and see how much easier your life becomes.

8. Our Expression of Love to Others
Matthew 18:21- How often do I forgive? Answer- Our forgiveness has not limits.
Seeking to dwell together in unity (Ps. 133:1). Unity w/o truth is only union. True unity only comes when one holds to the doctrine of Christ.
Love for souls! Jesus called the disciples to be fishers of men and that is what we are called through the gospel to be.

9. The Extent of Our Love
2 Cor. 11: Paul sacrificed for his brethren. How much is your brother worth to you?
Sacrifice and serve in the church.
1. Give our funds (1 Cor. 16:2; 2 Cor. 9)
2. Give our time ( Matt. 6:33)- Forsake not
3. Give ourselves (2 Cor. 8:1-5)

10. Loving Enough To Discipline
Godly Love Corrects and Disciplines ( Heb. 12:6-8).
Our Children (Prov. 22:15; 23:13)
Ourselves (Heb. 12:7- accepts the chastening of the Lord and James 1:2, counts it joy to be tried).
Our brethren (Matt. 18:15- privately; 1 Cor. 5- publicly; 2 Thess. 3:6- withdrawal if necessary; Gal. 6:1-3- considering ourselves). Hardest aspect of love.
Godly Love accepts correction and responds in submission to God’s will. Godly love moves us to change when we are shown to be in error.

11. Tough Love- Ultimate Giving
Heb 12:6-8- For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. Heb 12:11- Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.

12. True Bible Love Responds
By Obedience (1John 2:3-6- “hereby we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments, he that says, I know Him and keeps not His commandments, is a liar and the truth is not in Him but whoso keeps His word, in him verily is the love of God perfected, hereby we know that we are in Him. He that says he abides in Him ought also to walk as He walked”).

13. Loves Response
John 14:21- If ye love me, keep my commandments. John 14: Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me.

14. What Is Your Response To God’s Love?
He Gave all for you.
He offers all spiritual blessings to you.
He offers eternal life to you.
What Is Your Response:
Repentance?
Subjection?
Give all to Him?
Embrace all He has done?
Reject what He has done?

15. 1 Corinthians 13:1-8
Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned,* but have not love, it profits me nothing. Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.

16. 1 Corinthians 13:1-8 Characteristics of true love for God
Characteristics of true love for others
How many of these attributes describe you?
Our love is unconditional however, our acceptance of wrong is not.
God always loves us, but He is not always pleased with our behavior. He does not love sin, nor should we.

17. Commanded Agape
To be a true child of God we must practice proper agape love toward all our brethren and family.
There is no room in the life of a child of God for hatred of anyone except Satan.
Families that do not talk to one another??? How is this love??? If sin is not the issue, then there is no excuse for failing to love. Rejection of brethren for reasons other than sin—no room

18. Without Proper Love WE ARE NOTHING.
We can do everything else but if we do not practice proper biblical love, we are not true disciples of the Lord.
Love allows others to love us. It does not put others off.
Many often want to be the givers but not the recipients of love. This is also a part of being true disciples. Learning to properly accept the love of others.