1. The Father’s Love A Giant Consumed 1 John 3:1-3

2. “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.

3. 1 John 3:1-3 “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 3 Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure.”

4. No Greater Love How much more perfect is Father God’s love than ours.

5. Exodus 34:5-7 “Then the Lord came down in the cloud and stood there with him and proclaimed his name, the Lord. 6 And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, 7 maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin...”

6. “Why would God, who has everything, waste His time creating a bunch of measly people? What could we possibly offer that He didn’t already have a million times over? Surely God would be better off without the hassle... Why did God create us? Because love requires expression.” Darin Hufford, The Misunderstood God, page 72.

7. No Greater Love Perfect love has a long fuse.Perfect love has a long fuse. “maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation.” Exodus 34:7 Exodus 34:7

8. No Greater Love Perfect love has a long fuse.Perfect love has a long fuse. “the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son.” Hebrews 12:6

9. No Greater Love Perfect love has a long fuse.Perfect love has a long fuse. Perfect love has a bad memory.Perfect love has a bad memory.

10. Psalm 103:7-14 He made known his ways to Moses, his deeds to the people of Israel: 8 The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. 9 He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; 10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.

11. Psalm 103:7-14 11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; 12 as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

12. Psalm 103:7-14 13 As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him; 14 for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust.

13. John 6:40 “For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.”

14. No Greater Love Perfect love has a long fuse.Perfect love has a long fuse. Perfect love has a bad memory.Perfect love has a bad memory. Perfect love never quits.Perfect love never quits. “But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord's love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children's children.” Psalm 103:17

15. Love Lavished To lavish is to give in extravagant abundance.To lavish is to give in extravagant abundance. It also means to bestow, infuse.It also means to bestow, infuse. The Father’s love creates the children of God.The Father’s love creates the children of God.

16. What We Are! Legally we are God’s children.Legally we are God’s children. We are God’s children in our hearts.We are God’s children in our hearts. As his children, we behave like Father.As his children, we behave like Father. “Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure.” 1 John 3:3.

17. 1 John 4:7-8 “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.”

18. The Father’s Love Return the Father’s love.