Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Mt 28:18-20

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Mt 28:18-20

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” Jn 13:34-35

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It does not dishonour others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8Love never fails.” 1 Cor 13:4-8

1.We Have to Experience God’s Love First “May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully” Eph 3:19 NLT

“But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9not by works, so that no one can boast. 10For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Eph 2:4-10

2. We Take Responsibility in Growing in Love (Agape)

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud (Humility). 5It does not dishonour others (Respect), it is not self-seeking (Selflessness), it is not easily angered (Self-disciplined), it keeps no record of wrongs (Forgiving). 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth (Honest). 7It always protects, always trusts (Faithful), always hopes, always perseveres. 8Love never fails.” 1 Cor 13:4-8

1.How has God through Jesus loved me with this Character Quality? 2.How can I be this way to others.?

Patience Allowing someone to be imperfect. “Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love.” - Eph 4:2

Kindness The joy of meeting someone else’s needs before my own simply for the sake of the relationship “Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tender hearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.” - Col 3:12

Humility A peacefulness of heart that allows you to stand aside in order to affirm the value of someone else. “And all of you, serve each other in humility, for “God opposes the proud but favours the humble.” 6 So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honour. 7 Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.” -1 Pet 5:5-7

Respect To show regard or consideration fo r others “Respect everyone, and love your Christian brothers and sisters. Fear God, and respect the king.” - 1 Pet 2:17

Selflessness The quality of not putting yourself first but being willing to give your time or money or effort etc. for others “Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. 4 Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. 5 You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.” - Phil 2:3-5

Self-Discipline The ability to do what I should do, when I should do it, whether I feel like it or not. “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.” - 2 Tim 1:7

Forgiveness The intentional process of removing awareness of the offence from consciousness “Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.” - Col 3:13

Honesty A loving consistency in speech, thought and action “Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us.” – Rom 12:3

Faithful Being certain and sure of what has not yet been seen – living an exciting life based not on what I can see but on what God’s words promise in the scriptures “Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.” - Heb 11:1